Secrets
by E. Sandra Marie
Summary: I left The Gates to leave behind the secrets that I was not supposed to find out. Little did I know that the town of Forks had a couple of their own secrets. JacobxOC
1. Introduction

**Introduction**

Secrets, everyone has them. Whether they are secrets about themselves or other people or even a group of people, everyone will eventually have one or two, maybe more. Some secrets will be forced, some a burden to keep, and some may be necessary to share for the well being of everyone involved. That's when secrets can start to complicate things, relationships, friendships, other people's lives. I should know. Secrets, mainly other people's, were the reason I left my beautiful home within the community known as The Gates.

You see, another thing with secrets is that most people, if not all, don't like it when their secrets are found out. In my case, I did not just find out one secret, I found out two; two big, unbelievable secrets. One other thing about these secrets, they weren't just about one person; they were about two specific groups in The Gates community. So with that being said, I guess "left my beautiful home" was the wrong thing to say. That would imply that I left voluntarily, on my own free will. Instead, it was more like "my _parents_ volun**told** me to live elsewhere."

That elsewhere happened to be with my Aunt Corinne in good, ol' Forks, Washington. My parents thought it would be a good change of scene for me. On top of being forced to keep The Gates' two biggest secrets, I also had to deal with my younger brother's sudden disappearance. It was the only reason they stayed and chose to endure the residents' newly found hostile attitude towards them; they were holding onto the hope that my brother would return.

It was hard for me to leave, knowing my brother was lost, but at the same time, I was relieved. I was relieved to be able to get away from the people who I pissed off. The people who stopped greeting me with smiles but rather with cold, icy stares. The people who stopped asking how I was doing and instead kept reminding me to keep my mouth shut or else. _Or else what?_ I didn't know. I didn't want to find out. On top of all of that, I was relieved to be able to get away from it all. I wanted nothing more than to bury the secrets deep, deep, deep in my mind to eventually forget and to move on and start anew.

Unfortunately, Forks was not the best town for that.

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><p><strong>AN:** _**The Gates** _was a TV series that ran for one season on ABC. It was a great show and I am extremely disappointed it was canceled. While watching it, I was reminded of **Twilight** and thought about doing a crossover. However, as I outlined my story, I found that it ended up being more of a **Twilight** fanfiction rather than an actual crossover although a few of _**The**_** _Gate_**_**s**_characters will be mentioned later on.

Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything from Twilight or The Gates. The characters Jade and Corinne are of my own creation.

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><p><strong>CHAPTER ONE<strong>

"Jade!" My Aunt Corinne called from the bottom of the stairs.

"What?" I yelled back as I sifted through my box of things.

"I'm going to the shop. Astrid called about smelling something funky and now she claims she's seeing talking stars." I chuckled to myself. "Do you want to come?"

"No thanks."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I still have a few boxes to go through. I want to get settled in before school next week." Ugh, school. A feeling of anxiety came over me. Ever since my little "incident" at The Gates the mere thought of being around strangers scared me and made me anxious. I took a deep breath in. I decided a break from unpacking was needed. I dropped the box next to my bed and laid down. A soft knock came from my door. I lifted my head as Aunt Corinne opened the door.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her green eyes looking concerned.

"I'm fine," I replied sitting up.

"I could make you fix you some tea before I leave." Aunt Corinne was all about teas and herbs and how they helped the body, mind, and soul.

"No thank you. Actually I think I'll head out and maybe drive around. You know, get some fresh air."

She nodded her head. "Are you sure you'll be fine by yourself? Maybe you should come with-"

"Aunt Cor, go ahead! I'll be fine. I think Astrid needs you more than I do right now," I reminded her.

She nodded once again and this time disappeared behind my closing door. I laid my head back down on my bed and closed my eyes. I heard the front door creak open then close. The sound of the door locking followed, and then came the sound of heels hitting the pavement. I listened for Aunt Cor's car to start up and drive off.

I sighed and sat up again, looking around my new room. It certainly wasn't as big as my old room in the Gates, but I didn't mind. I found it to be quite cozy. I eyed the remaining boxes filled with junk, waiting to be unpacked. After a few more minutes of staring blankly at my wall, I got up and resumed with settling in.

It only took me a few hours to settle in. I was able to unpack my belongings, dust everything down and put them in their new rightful places in my new room of my new home. How long would I be calling this home? I didn't know. I guess it depended on how long it would take my parents to find my brother. That is, _if_ they ever find him. I shook the pessimistic thoughts away. '_Conor is still alive. They still haven't found his body.'_ Without a second thought, I grabbed the keys to my car. I descended the stairs two steps at a time. After locking the front door, I darted to my car and sped off as if trying to leave my thoughts behind.

After calming myself down, I realized that I didn't know where I was. I saw nothing but evergreens around me and an open yet deserted road in front of me. I began to panic. I pulled over to the side and decided that a quick U-turn would solve my problem. I double checked for incoming traffic, which seemed a bit silly, but better safe than sorry.

After driving down the road, I realized that none of the scenery looked familiar. Actually, it did look familiar because it was all the same, just trees everywhere. I drove ten more minutes down the road, still no sign of Forks or civilization for that matter. As I drove a few more miles down, I saw a little road branch off. I tried to recall if I took any turns, but came up with a blank. I made a last minute decision and swerved to catch the right turn. I instantly hit my brakes when I spotted a man standing in the middle of the road. He was tall, tan, and shirtless. He had black hair and a tattoo on his right arm. He started walking towards my car. Without thinking, I unbuckled my seatbelt and made a move to open my door.

"Don't get out!" he yelled. He stopped a few feet in front of my car. "Turn around. You shouldn't go down this way! It's dangerous!"

I slowly nodded. I put my gear into reverse and went back a couple of inches before stopping again. I rolled down my window.

"Do you know how I can get back to Forks?"

He looked annoyed. "Go back. Then make a right and keeping heading down until you hit the intersection to the 101. Take it south and you'll hit Forks."

"Thanks!" I turned my car around and kept a mental note of the directions the shirtless stranger had just given me. I looked at my rearview mirror and he was gone. I turned back onto the main road and followed it down. How far was the 101? Did I really drive this far and know realize it? A red light suddenly flashed on my dashboard. It was my gas light. "Shit."

For the next fifteen minutes I prayed that my gas would last me till Forks. Unfortunately, my prayers were not answered. My car slowed down to a stop once I turned onto the 101.

"God damn it!" I cursed. Maybe that's why my prayers were never answered. I dug around in my jacket pocket only to discover that I was without my cell phone.

"Great," I muttered.

I undid my seatbelt but continued to sit in my car. I covered my face with my hands. I didn't look back up until I heard the sound of a car approaching. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw a police cruiser pull up beside me. He rolled the passenger side window down. There were two men inside. One, the driver, was in a police officer uniform and the other had long hair and wore a cowboy looking hat.

"Car trouble?" the driver asked.

"Yeah, I ran out of gas," I told him. He raised an eyebrow. "I was driving around and got lost."

"Aren't you Corinne's niece?" the long haired guy questioned. I nodded. Forks really was a small town.

"I'm Billy Black," he said. "This here is Chief Charlie Swan."

"Hi, I'm Jade," I said, giving them a smile.

"Well, we were just coming from the rez and heading up to town. If you want to hop in-"

The police radio garbled something about a situation in the forest. Chief Swan gave Billy a look. A loud rustling of the trees tore my attention away from the two.

"Jade." I jumped, surprised at Charlie's sudden appearance by my door. He gave an apologetic smile.

"We should get you to town. Your car will be safe here until we can get some gas in it."

"I'll have Jacob come by and take care of it," Billy offered.

"He won't mind?"

"If he does, I don't care."

"Still not getting better is he?" Charlie asked.

Billy shook his head. Charlie turned back to me and opened my door. I slowly got out. Charlie gently took my arm and walked me to the back of the cruiser. Once I was in, he closed the door and ran to the driver's side.

"I'll drop you off at the station." I nodded.

After riding in silence for a few minutes, something dawned on me.

"Wait, if your son's going to gas up my car, how's he going to get my car and his car to town?"

Charlie glanced at Billy.

"Don't worry about that. Jacob will take care of it."

"Does he know how to hotwire a car because I have my keys."

"Yup," Billy replied.

"He does?" Charlie asked with surprise. Billy looked out the window and didn't answer him.

The trip back to Forks took us fifteen minutes. The two took turns telling me about the sights along the main road. Charlie pulled up to the station and got out. I stepped out as well. Charlie pulled out a wheelchair from the trunk and wheeled it over to the passenger's side. Billy easily moved from the car to his chair.

He gave me a smile and wheeled into the station, nodding his head for me to follow. Once we were inside, two deputies suddenly swarmed the chief.

"We've got a report of an attack. Two hikers, minor injuries. Mentioned seeing a black bear." Charlie motioned for them to enter his office. He gave me a nod and closed the door.

"Come on, I know where they keep the donuts," Billy grinned. I smiled and followed him to the back of the station. Everyone greeted him kindly and acknowledged his presence. The aroma of fresh coffee made my stomach rumble. "Help yourself."

I made myself a cup of coffee and took a donut. After devouring it, I excused myself to the bathroom to use the facilities and fix myself up. When I came back, Billy was waiting for me out in the hall.

"Your car is here." I followed him back to the front of the station.

"That was fast," I told him.

"Mmhmm."

When we got out, I saw a tall, well built guy jump out of my car. For a second, I thought he was the shirtless guy from earlier, but after further observation, I found Billy's son to be taller.

"Are you alright Jade?" Billy asked smiling.

"Yeah, I just confused your son for someone else."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I almost ran over this guy earlier. It was weird. He was shirtless in this cold weather."

Billy shrugged. "Maybe he's used to the cold."

"Maybe."

"There you two are," Charlie said, walking out the front doors of the station. "Jade, your aunt." Charlie held out his cell phone.

"I probably should've called her earlier." Charlie nodded his head. I took the phone and walked a few steps away. "Hi, Aunt Cor!"

"_Jade! Where the hell have you been? I come home and you're not here. I called your cell phone a thousand times and you didn't pick up-"_

"Yeah, I forgot my cell-"

"_I was so worried. I didn't know what to do! I called your father-"_

"You called my dad?" I cried into the phone.

"_I thought you were lost or kidnapped!"_

"You thought I was lost or kidnapped so you decided to call my dad who is in Louisiana? What was he gonna do? Teleport here so he could find me?"

Billy and Charlie stifled their laughs. I turned to smile at them then turned back around.

"_I don't know Jade! I've never lost a teenager before! Where are you now? Are you coming home? Are you okay?"_

"I'm fine. I'm still at the station, but Billy's son just dropped my car off so I'll be on my way home soon."

After reassuring her again that I was fine, I ended the call. I headed back to the front of the station. I saw that Billy'son was wheeling him to their truck. I still didn't understand how he managed to drive both my car and their truck to station. I handed Charlie back his cell phone and thanked him. Then I walked over to Billy's truck.

"Thanks for the help and it was nice meeting you."

"You too, Jade. But we'll be seeing you at the rez for dinner?" I gave him a blank look. "Your aunt told you, didn't she?"

"No, I guess she forgot."

"By the way, that's my son Jacob." He nodded to the back of the truck, where Jacob was busy with Billy's wheelchair.

"Thanks for bringing my car here," I called out to him.

He only grunted as a response. He didn't even looking at me.

"Charming, isn't he?" Billy asked sarcastically. I only smiled.

"Well, I guess I will you see guys later then." I gave a small wave and headed to my car. Billy's truck pulled out its spot and exited the parking lot just as I got in my car. I buckled my seat belt, turned the engine, and was on my way home.

Once I entered my aunt's warm house, I began to feel the tiredness creeping in. My aunt's footsteps were heard coming down the stairs.

"There you are! You look tired."

"I am," I told her, taking off my coat.

"Well go on and take a quick shower and get ready. We're going to La Push for dinner." I looked at her with disbelief. I had just told her I was tired and she still expected me to go to a dinner she forgot to tell me about.

"Do you think I could just stay home tonight?"

"Jade, Sue Clearwater arranged this dinner especially for you! It's like a Welcome to Forks/La Push dinner."

"I don't know Aunt Jade. I'm really ti-"

"A nice shower will fix that," she said, putting a scarf around her neck. "Or I could fix you some coffee."

"I'm not really up-" I tried to explain.

"Jade, you can meet her daughter Leah and her son Seth, and the La Push boys."

"La Push boys? What, are they like the Lost Boys?"

Aunt Corinne took a second before finally laughing. "I get it, but no. Far from it," she muttered the last part to her last. "It's what I like to call them. There's just so many of them."

"How many are we talking exactly?"

"Well maybe about seven of them? Maybe eight?" There it was again, the feeling of anxiety. I took a deep breath as my aunt tried to name them all. "There's Jacob, you met him already right?"

"Kind of," I told her. "He wasn't really very…nice."

"Jacob? He's a good guy. He's just been going through a rough time lately." She stopped fiddling with her scarf and walked over to me. She placed her hands on my shoulders. "Come on, Jade. You can make some new friends." The tightening feeling in my chest returned. I took another deep breath. I didn't want to make new friends. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I'm just… I'm fine."

"So you will go? It is in your honor." I thought about all the new faces I'd have to meet and sit down to have dinner with. I thought Jacob and his unwelcoming attitude. Then I thought about his father, the one who I told that I would be there.

I gave a sigh of defeat. "Okay."

Aunt Corinne gave a triumphant smile. "Hurry and get ready. We're going to be late."

I made my way up the stairs, wondering what to wear to this dinner arranged for me. After taking a short shower, I quickly selected an outfit consisting of a pair of jeans and a grey cardigan over a white tank. I changed and side braided my long brown hair. I decided to skip the make-up; I wasn't looking to make friends let alone impress any of the so called La Push boys.

"Let's go," I cried as I jumped down the stairs and grabbed my jacket from the closet.

"Someone's in a hurry," Aunt Corinne said, coming out of the kitchen with a cup of tea. "I like the enthusiasm!"

"Don't get excited," I told her. "You said we were going to be late and the way I see it, sooner we leave here, the sooner we get there, and the sooner we can leave there, the sooner we can get back here."

"Okay, but first, drink this."

"Aunt Cor, we're about to go to dinner and you want me to drink tea?" I asked.

"It's chamomile to calm you and help with your anxiety. Drink it," she ordered. I gave her a look. "Yes, I know about those mini-anxiety attacks you've been having. Your mother told me they came out of nowhere after-"

I took the cup so she didn't have to finish her sentence. I ignored the pain I felt when the hot liquid made contact with my tongue. I practically gulped the whole thing down. "There, now let's get this over with!"

We got into her car and started the half hour drive to La Push. Aunt Corinne felt it necessary to crank up the radio volume and sing along to all the songs that played. I guess she thought it would somehow amp me up.

I gave a sigh of relief when I saw the sign marking the entrance of the La Push. Aunt Corinne lowered the music as we entered the little community. I looked out my window, trying to make out the little houses along the road. After a few more minutes of driving, we reach a nice looking house. I couldn't make out the color with the dim lighting. I got out of my car and waited for my aunt to come around. I followed two steps behind her. She got to the front door and knocked.

A woman with a thin face and long black hair opened the door. Aunt Corinne gave her a hug.

"Jade this is my good friend Sue Clearwater. Sue this is my niece, Jade."

I gave a shy smile, but Sue pulled me in for a hug.

"It's nice to finally meet you! Come in so I can introduce you."

My aunt gave my hand a reassuring squeeze as I followed Sue into the house. She led us to the living room where three girls sat on the couch. They all stood once they saw us.

"Girls, this is Corinne's niece Jade," Sue said, putting her hands on my shoulders. "Jade this is Emily, Kim, and Rachel."

I gave a small wave.

"Hello there, Jade."

"Hi, Billy! Nice to see you again. Have a seat!"

I sat down at the end of the couch beside the girl named Emily. It was only then that I noticed the scars on her face. I automatically rubbed my left arm that had similar looking scars.

"Where are the boys?" my aunt asked.

"Out doing boy things. Girls, you think you can help set the table?" The three girls nodded and stood up. I followed suit.

"Oh no, Jade. Sit down. You're the guest of honor," Billy told me.

"No, it's fine. I don't mind," I told him. I excused myself and followed the ladies down the hallway and into the dining room. A big table sat in the middle of the room. There seemed to be more than a dozen chairs pushed into the table. I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"You alright?" Aunt Corinne asked in a low voice.

"Those are a lot of chairs." She let out a small laugh. "You'll be fine. It's just dinner!" She handed me a stack of plates. I walked over to the table and began placing one plate atop of the place mats that were already set. Between the five of us, we were able to set the table within ten minutes.

"You girls take your seats and Corinne and I will take care of the food." We did as we were told. "Billy, come join the girls at the table."

Billy appeared a few seconds later and took his place at one end of the table. We sat in silence as Aunt Corinne and Sue brought the food onto the table.

"Smells good," I said breaking the silence.

"Aunt Sue is an amazing cook," Emily told me with a smile.

"So are you, Em," Rachel told her.

"If only I could say the same about you," Billy said.

"Dad!" Billy chuckled.

"That's everything," Sue said as she placed the last dish onto the table. She took her seat and Aunt Corinne took the chair beside me.

"I wonder where they are," Kim spoke with a hint of concern in her voice.

"I'm sure they're fine," Emily told her.

"They'll be here soon," Billy assured her. Then, as if on cue, the front door swung open and thunderous voices boomed down the hall and into the dining room where we sat. A tall girl with short hair led the group, her face holding a scowl. She was quiet and took the seat beside Sue.

"Jade, this is my daughter Leah," Sue told me. I gave a smile and Leah simply nodded back.

The La Push boys followed, laughing and talking over one another. I looked down and closed my eyes. I inhaled and slowly exhaled before looking back up.

"Where's Jacob?" Billy asked, once the boys settled into their seats.

"He headed home," a guy told him. He was taller than the other guys and seemed older.

"He'll come later when he's hungry," Billy said.

"There'll be no food later," one of the other guys said.

"I'm starving!"

"Hold it!" Sue said, slapping a hand away from the bread basket. "Before we eat, I want everyone to meet Jade." Everyone turned towards me.

"Hi Jade," they chorused. I gave a nervous smile. The guys before me looked...intimidating. They were all tall and muscular, some more than others. How old were they supposed to be?

"I'm Sam," the older guy from earlier said. The guys all took turns introducing themselves. Embry, Quil, Collin, Brady, Seth, Jared, and Paul.

"Hey, aren't you the guy from earlier?" I asked Paul. He averted my gaze and looked to Sam, as if asking him for help.

"Oh, the weird shirtless man you were telling me about earlier?" Billy asked.

"Uh, yeah. Him." I blushed.

"Probably was," Billy said. "Paul likes to run to clear his head. As for the shirtless part..." Billy shrugged.

"Oh," was all I could say. I wasn't sure why the room suddenly held a slight tension in the air.

"Well, let's eat!"

I looked on with awe as the guys scooped spoonfuls of food onto their plates. It was no wonder Sue made so much food.

"So, Jade, why don't you tell us about you," Sue said, giving me a smile. I caught an eye roll from Leah.

"Uh, I don't really know where to start."

"Tell them about your track stories," my aunt said. "Jade used to do track. And from what her mother told me, she always had the best times."

"How fast are you?" the boy named Seth asked. I think he was Sue's son.

"I don't know-"

"Do you think you're fast?" came his second question.

"Well, yeah, I suppose I was, but not anymore. I quit when-" I stopped and looked down at my plate. I nervously licked my lips.

"When what?" Seth persisted. Leah gave him a smack behind his head. "Ow! What was that for Leah?" He rubbed the back of his head and turned his attention back on me.

"I quit because I just didn't get along with my teammates."

Seth nodded his head. "I could probably beat you." I smiled. He somehow reminded me of my younger brother.

"You always think you could beat everyone," Collin said.

"Because I can! I beat you yesterday when we were-" Leah elbowed him. "Ow! Mom!"

Everyone laughed.

"Aw, does little Seth want his mommy?"

"Shut up, Brady! I could probably beat you too!"

More laughter. I looked around the table and saw how fun and relaxed everyone was. It helped me to relax, well only a little. A part of me still kept my guard up. As I looked around, I also noticed how fast they all ate. Some of them were already on their seconds. Sam, the biggest one, was on his third plateful.

"I apologize for these boys," Sue told me. "They seem to lack the etiquette of chewing their food slowly and not talking with their mouth full."

"Yeah, it's like we were raised by a pack of wolves." My eyes widened at what Quil said. I swallowed the lump in my throat. _'Calm down. He didn't mean it. It was just a joke. Relax!'_

"Well, look who's here," Paul cried out. I silently thanked him for the distraction. I looked up at the doorway and saw Jacob.

"Done being emo? You sure you wiped your tears completely?" I turned my attention back on Paul and the other boys. They were trying to keep from laughing.

"Paul," Sam said in a warning tone.

"What? He needs to get over that-"

"Jacob, have you met Jade?" Sue asked, putting an end to Paul's teasing.

"Yeah, we met earlier," Jacob answered, not bothering to look my way. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes and instead looked at the end of the table. Billy was staring at his son, as if trying to read his mind. Jacob entered my peripheral vision. He made a move to sit next to Leah, which meant he would be sitting across from me. '_Great._' I knew I couldn't avoid not looking at him forever so I finally turned my head to face him full on. Just as I did this, he finally looked at me and our eyes met for the first time. He stared at me for a good five seconds before suddenly dropping down to the ground. Gasps were heard all around.

"Jacob!" Seth cried standing up.

"Is he okay?" I asked. I felt a tug on my arm. I looked and my aunt motioned for me to sit down. I didn't even notice that I stood up just as Seth had. I slowly took my seat.

Jacob slowly stood up, his head bowed down. I glanced around the table. Everyone was fixated on Jacob. I brought my attention back to him, too, and saw that he was staring at me again.

"He's fine," Billy said. "He'll be just fine, now."

The guys all snickered amongst themselves. I didn't get what was so funny. I didn't even know what happened and why he fell in the first place.

"What's so funny?" I whispered to my aunt.

"Nothing," she replied with a smile. She stood up. "Jacob why don't you take my seat? Sue and I have things to catch up on."

I stared at my aunt in horror. "What are you doing?" I asked under my breath.

"You'll be fine," she said in a sing-song voice. I glared at her which only made her smile even more.

My chest began to tighten again as I felt Jacob walk behind me.

"Hi," he said to me as he took his seat. I only gave him a small smile. I still didn't forget how rude he was to me earlier. He reached for the bread basket. "Bread?"

All I could do was shake my head no. Why was he being nice all of a sudden? I caught Billy's eyes and they seemed to be smiling. Even his daughter Rachel, who apparently was Paul's girlfriend with the way he had his arm around her, gave me a big smile.

"So, Jade," Emily began, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Everyone seemed to be looking at me. At Jacob. At _us_. "How do you like Forks so far?"

"Oh, uh, it's good. It's nice. Definitely a big difference from where I used to live."

"Where was that?" Sam asked.

"The Gates." He stared at me blankly. "It's what the community was called. It's near Franklin in Louisiana. It was nice, but wasn't as quiet as it is here."

"That won't last for long," Collin joked.

"Well, I hope you like La Push. Something tells me we'll be seeing you here often. That is if you don't get lost on the way here," Paul told, giving a small wink.

I laughed. "I'll be sure to invest in a good GPS the next time I feel the need to just drive around."

"Just don't drive around by yourself at night," Jacob advised. I turned to him in surprise. I was taken aback by the evident concern in his voice. I didn't know what to make of his sudden change of attitude towards me.

"Yeah, you don't want to do that," Jared added. "_Especially_ around here."

"I'm sure it's like that everywhere."

"Not like it is here," Sam said, his tone serious.

"They're right, sweetie, Forks is not like the Gates."

"Why's it called the Gates?" Seth asked, totally veering the subject in another direction.

"It's a gated community," I told him. "The owner wanted it to be very safe and secure, so he spent a fortune on building 12 foot tall gates around the whole community."

"Wow, they must really not want anyone getting in," Rachel said.

"I think it was more about what they were trying to keep in." I bit my tongue the second the words left my mouth.

"What?" Seth asked.

"Uh." _'Shit. Why did I say that?' _"Well-" Everyone suddenly seemed interested to know what I meant.

"Who's ready for dessert?" Aunt Corinne asked. The words "I am" and "Me" resounded around the table. "You made dessert right, Sue?"

"Yes, I did." Sue got up and my aunt followed suit.

"I'll go see if they need help," Emily said, following the two women to the kitchen.

"Jade, what were they trying to keep in?" Seth asked again. I squirmed in my seat. He certainly was persistent or just plain curious.

"Seth," Jacob said from beside me. "You're making her uncomfortable."

"Sorry," he mumbled, looking down at his plate. It was like he was apologizing more to Jacob than to me.

"You don't have to be a jerk, Jacob," Leah said, speaking for the first time during the whole dinner.

"Leah, chill. Jacob's just being protective," Paul teased.

"I wasn't talking to you, Paul!"

"Jacob wasn't talk to you either. He was talking to Seth!"

"Paul, stop yelling!" Rachel told him, putting a hand on his arm.

"I'm not yelling!"

"Paul, stop," Sam said, staring him down.

"I don't need your help, Sam," Leah spat out his name like it was poison.

I looked down at my lap. I hated it when people yelled and fought. It made me very uncomfortable. Soon, the other guys got into the argument. They were all ganging up on Leah whose only ally was her little brother and maybe Sam, though it seemed she didn't want it. I felt bad, like it was my fault all the arguing began in the first place. I regretted ever mentioning the Gates.

I brought my hand up to my head. I felt a headache coming on.

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked, leaning close to me. I felt his body heat with how close he was. It made me hot and my headache worse.

"Y-yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

"Are you sure? Do you have a headache?"

"No, I'm fine." I dropped my hand and pushed out my chair. "Excuse me."

I quickly stood up from the table, walked out of the room, down the hall, and out of the house. I heard everyone get quiet and Jacob yelling at Leah which started another fight between them all. I walked further from the house until I didn't hear the yelling anymore.

I wrapped my arms around me as a cool breeze blew through. I took a deep breath in and the smell of the ocean nearby filled my nose. It helped to calm me. I had always liked the smell of salt water. Maybe it was because it reminded me of one of my favorite memories: spending the summer in southern California. My parents had rented a beach cottage and Conor and I spent every single day playing on the beach. I closed my eyes and listened carefully for the sound of the ocean. More memories of that summer came to mind.

"Hey." I opened my eyes and the memories quickly faded and I was forced to come back to reality. I turned around to face Jacob. It was the first time I got a good look at him from head to toe. He was tall, about a foot taller than I was. He had broad shoulders and his hair was neatly spiked up. In a way, he looked similar to all the other La Push boys: tall, muscular, and tan. "Are you alright?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied.

"Sorry if we scared you off," he told me with a half smile. He took a couple of steps towards.

"No, you guys didn't scare me off. I-I just wanted some fresh air. It was kinda hot in there."

He laughed. "Yeah, we have a tendency to do that." He was a foot away from me when I decided to back away to increase the space again.

"You sure we didn't scare you off? Or that _I_ didn't scare you off?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I-sorry, I just like my space."

"Oh," he replied, his face falling enough for me to notice.

There we stood, a good space between us with nothing else to say. I looked up so I didn't have to look at him. I was amazed to see so many stars out. It was beautiful.

"Listen," Jacob began, ruining my stargazing. "I just wanted to apologize for being rude to you earlier. I-I wasn't acting right and I was distracted by something that seems so insignificant now."

Something about his apology made me smile. It sounded so sincere and heartfelt. I smiled.

"It's alright," I told him. "And thank you for that." He nodded and continued to stare at me. It made me uncomfortable. I could feel another mini-attack coming. "Uh, can you do me a favor?"

"Anything," he quickly said, so quick in fact that it made me take a small step back.

"Um, can you please tell my aunt that I'm not feeling well?"

"What's wrong? Is your head still hurting?" He seemed to forget my preference of space between us and moved closer. He made a move to reach out to me, so I turned my body away.

"No, I'm just tired," I told him. He stayed beside me for a few seconds before finally nodding his head.

"I'll go get her," he said in a quiet voice. I watched as he walked back to the house, his head bowed down slightly. The tightening in my chest subsided with the thought of me going home to my new, cozy room. It was sad. I was excited to go home so I could be alone.

I heard my aunt's voice from the front of the house. She was saying bye to Sue. It sounded like she was also apologizing. A feeling of guilt hit me. Sue went through the trouble of hosting a dinner for me with good intentions and here I was, making up excuses just to get home.

I made my way to Aunt Corinne's car, hoping she wouldn't say anything. She didn't. She simply unlocked her car and got in. I followed suit. As she backed out, I saw Jacob leaning against the door frame of the front door. He gave a small wave and I did the same. The ride back was quiet, save for the music from the radio. Aunt Corinne hummed along. I hope she wasn't mad at me. I did tell her beforehand that I didn't want to go, right?

After half an hour of driving we were finally home. I headed straight up to my room and changed into my pajamas. I crawled under my nice warm covers, but I was no longer sleepy. I was staring at the ceiling for who knows how long when there was a knock on my door.

"Come in," I said. Aunt Cor came in holding a mug. I sat up.

"Don't worry, it's just hot chocolate. No tea."

I smiled my thanks. I took the mug from her and blew on it before taking a sip.

"How are you feeling?" she asked.

"Okay," I told her. "I'm sorry about the dinner. I… I just felt overwhelmed."

"Yeah, they are a rowdy bunch. Maybe it was too much too soon."

I nodded.

"But Jacob was nice wasn't he? I told you he was."

"Yeah, he is. I guess." She gave me a look. "What? I just think it's weird. First he was all rude to me and couldn't even look me in the eye and then out of nowhere he's offering me bread and invading my personal space and just staring at me."

This caused my aunt to giggle. "Well, maybe he was having a bad day and then you just turned it around for him."

It was my turn to give her a look. "I'm just throwing that thought out there," she explained. I continued to sip on my hot cocoa. "But seriously, I came here to talk to you."

"About?"

My aunt sighed and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I want you to be happy here," she told me. I looked down at my almost empty mug. "I know that with Conor's disappearance and your parents sending you here, it's hard to adjust, but I want you to at least try."

I sighed. "I know. But it really was too much too soon."

"Okay," She replied. She continued to sit on my bed so I knew our talk wasn't over. "I've been meaning to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

"How long have you been having these anxiety attacks?"

"Since Conor's disappearance." _Liar._

"Nothing else?"

"I don't know. I guess what happened just scared me. The Gates was supposed to be this nice safe place. Then all of a sudden, Conor disappears and with all the security cameras and everything they can't find a single clue." I looked at my aunt who looked at me attentively. "It just made me think that someone on the inside had something to do with it. After that, I felt like I couldn't trust anybody. It made me realize that you never really, truly know a person. You really don't know who they are and what they're capable of."

"Which is why you are wary of meeting new people?"

I shrugged as I nodded my head. "I don't know. It's silly-"

"It's not," Aunt Corinne said. "But I promise you, Jade, that Jacob is a nice guy-"

"Jacob? What's he have to do with this?" I asked. She seemed to be pushing me to like this Jacob.

"Nothing. I'm just saying that you might be wrong about Jacob. I've known him since he was born and he is the nicest, sweetest guy around. Same with the other La Push boys and Leah and Sue and Billy. I have known them the longest."

I only nodded.

"Alright, let me leave you so you can get some rest."

I thanked her and bid her good night.

I curled back into my bed and replayed the events from the day. Billy and Sue were nice people. They were very welcoming. As for the La Push boys and Leah, they were a rowdy crowd, but they seemed very close. Then there was Jacob. He was the one that I was unsure about. They say first impressions stick, and his did for me. I wondered what 'rough time' he had been going through. Was he a drug user or something? An alcoholic? A serial killer? I shook my head. I was clearly taking it too far.

My thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of wolves howling. I buried myself deeper into my bed. Of course they had wolves here in Forks, it was surrounded by miles and miles of forests that they could run through. I reached for my iPod and blasted my music to drown out the howling. It didn't help to put me to sleep, but I didn't care, so long as I didn't hear the damn wolves anymore.

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><p><strong>AN: **I know this chapter was probably a bit slow to read. I'm hoping to somehow pick up the pace with it, but sometimes I don't like rushing into things too much. Thanks for reading!


	3. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own _Twilight _or _The Gates_. Jade and Aunt Corinne are my own characters.

**THANK YOU: **_SeekerOfTheDragons _for being the first to review my story! The motivation I needed to finish this chapter and upload it ASAP. I hope you enjoy it!

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><p><strong>Chapter 2<strong>

The following morning, I woke up to a little bit of sunlight shining down between the cracks of light grey clouds. I made my way to the bathroom and washed up. After dressing warmly I headed down to the kitchen where I heard Aunt Corinne moving about. I wrinkled my nose as I entered the kitchen.

"What are you cooking?" I asked, making her jump.

"Jade!" she cried in surprise. "You scared me!"

She slammed a tattered looking book in front of her. "I didn't know you were awake." I gave her an odd look as she smiled and placed the book in one of the drawers.

"What's that?" I asked, making my way closer to the stove.

"Uh, just a new remedy I'm trying out," Aunt Corinne replied, stirring the pot. "Hungry? I can cook up some eggs."

"No thanks," I said. "I'll just have some cereal."

After pouring the cereal and milk into a bowl, I took a place at the table.

"Aunt Cor," I began.

"Hmm?"

"Do you think you can take me to Sue's today?" She looked up at me questioningly. "I wanted to apologize to her for being rude and leaving the dinner so early."

She nodded before breaking into a smile. "I'm sure she understands, but it's still a nice gesture."

"And I thought about what you said last night, and I am going to try," I told her, "to make friends with the La Push boys and Leah."

Her smile got bigger. "Great! How soon do you want to go?"

"Whenever."

"How about after you finish your cereal?" I nodded. Even if it was my idea to go back to La Push, I was in no rush to go. I ate my slurped at my cereal slowly and even went for another bowl. Finally, I decided I stalled enough. I did just tell my aunt that I was going to try and already I was trying to avoid it.

The ride to La Push seemed to be a whole other adventure. It was day time and I was finally able to see the surroundings in light. Sure there were just trees and trees all around, but it looked nice. Nature could be a beautiful thing.

"So, do people really walk around in the forest?"

"Yeah, hikers and runners and such. But, I don't want you getting ideas! Anyone who braves actually going into the forest actually knows how to find their way back."

I frowned. "Well, how can I familiarize myself if I can't even go check it out in the first place?" I asked.

"If you want, I'm sure Jacob and them know the forest by heart." There she goes again, mentioning Jacob. I bet I could mention wanting to go to Mars and she'll somehow rope Jacob into the conversation. I turned back to the road and noted the sign posting for La Push. I paid attention to the houses along the road, counting them so I had an idea of how deep down the road the Clearwaters lived. Aunt Corinne pulled up in front of their house. I got out and didn't even wait for Aunt Corinne this time. I made my way to the front door and knocked. Aunt Cor was soon beside me.

"Jade! Corinne! Good morning! What a surprise, come in!" Sue said cheerfully.

"Thank you," I said politely.

"What are you two up to?"

"Well, I just wanted to come here and apologize for last night. It was really nice of you putting that dinner together and I feel awful for just running out on it."

Sue waved her hand in the air. "I understand, Jade. No need to apologize. I know those guys were a bit…"

"I used the word 'rowdy,'" Aunt Cor told her.

Sue nodded with a smile. "Rowdy. Why don't you two come have breakfast?

"I already ate," I told her. I wasn't really planning on staying for too long, just enough to apologize and leave. Of course, Aunt Cor had other plans in that cunning head of hers.

"Not me," Aunt Cor said making her way to the kitchen. The sound of someone coming down the stairs caught our attention. A few seconds later, Leah appeared. She saw me and her scowl got bigger.

"Leah, do you think you can show Ja-"

"I'm busy, mom!" She stormed out of the house just as Charlie appeared, pushing Billy in his chair.

"Bad day already?" Charlie asked. Sue only rolled her eyes.

"Seth!" More footsteps coming down. Seth appeared, a big smile showing on his face. "Do you think you can show Jade around while we have breakfast?"

"Oh, sure," Seth said cheerfully, but I saw disappointment in his eyes.

"You know Seth, Jacob's home," Billy told him. "Maybe Jacob won't mind joining you."

I plastered a smile on my face when Billy beamed at me.

"Okay!" Seth cried, the disappointment suddenly gone and replaced with pure excitement. Seth grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the house. "Let's go!"

I laughed at Seth's enthusiasm. "I thought you were a track star?" he told me.

"I _was_."

"I'll race you!" He took off running.

"That's not fair! I don't even know where I'm going!" I cried after him, picking up my pace. Soon I was sprinting, almost catching up to him.

I saw a one level red house up ahead. I assumed that was where the Blacks lived. I felt my legs begin to tire and I slowed down to a jog and eventually a walk. Seth stood in front of the house, hands on his hips, a smile on his face, and not even out of breath.

"I beat you," he told me. I laughed in between breaths. "You're out of shape."

"Thanks," I told him, still trying to catch my breath. "I told you I wasn't a track star anymore."

He smiled and I couldn't help but smile back. His smile was so nice and friendly, it reminded me of my brother's smile.

"Come on," he said, grabbing my hand. "I think Jacob's in the garage."

Seth walked me over to the side of the house. The garage door was open.

"Hi Jake!" Seth cried out cheerily. A thud was heard and Jacob let out a curse.

"Seth!" Jacob said angrily, revealing himself from under the car.

"Jade's here," Seth told him quickly.

Jacob's anger seemed to fade. He stood up and wiped his hands on a dirty rag.

"Hi Jade," he greeted.

"Hi," I said, still a little out of breath.

"What happened to you?"

I pointed to Seth. "He wanted to race."

Jacob chuckled to himself.

"Jake, do you think you can show Jade around?" Seth asked. I felt alarmed. He was dumping me on Jacob. I found myself hoping that Jacob would be too busy to accept.

"Yeah sure," Jacob told him. _Yup, God really does not like me._

"Okay, I'm going to see Renesme."

"Be careful, Seth," Jacob growled.

Seth rolled his eyes. "I know, I know. Bye Jade! Have fun!" He gave a wink and a wave then took off running into the woods. I guess no one has a problem with the guys running around the woods.

I looked back at Jacob who went back to working on the car. I looked around the garage. There was nothing really special about it. Nothing interesting to pretend to look at or even start a conversation with. I leaned against the table that had tools laid out. After a few minutes of silence I finally gave in. I did tell my aunt I was going to _try_.

I cleared my throat. "So…who's Renesme?" I asked.

"A close friend of his," Jacob answered automatically.

I nodded even though he wasn't looking in my direction.

"So, is this your car?"

"My friend's." I sighed to myself. He was not making this whole trying to make new friends thing easy. It was like pulling teeth trying to make a conversation with him. I eyed the door then glanced at him. His back was turned to me, maybe I can just sneak out… He turned and started walking over to where I was. I quickly scooted away. He glanced in my direction as he picked up the tool that he needed. I took my place back against the table as he returned to his place at the hood of car.

"Is this your hobby or something?" I asked, trying to sound interested.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he replied. That was a good question right? Surely he'll go on and on about this hobby of his. I waited and watched as his head disappeared under the hood of the car.

"So, what else do you do around here?" I finally asked when he said nothing else.

"Besides hanging with the guys? Nothing."

I nodded again. He suddenly stood straight then rested his hands on the front of the car. A small twitching at the corner of his mouth caught my eye. He was smiling. No, he was trying not to laugh.

"What's so funny?" I asked. A hint of irritation creeping onto my voice. Had he been messing with me the whole time? Man, he really was a jerk and that nice guy act was probably just that, an act.

"You," he said as he sat back down on the creeper. "It's just cute how you're trying to make conversation." He smiled and laid down and disappeared back under the car.

_Did he just compliment me_? I stood confused, at lost for what to say so I laughed. It sounded forced and fake.

"Yeah, I guess I forgot how to be social and all that."

"That explains you running out last night," he said from under the car.

I groaned. "Don't remind me. I feel awful especially after you all were so nice to me."

Jacob rolled out from under the car. "Don't feel bad." He stood up and moved beside me. "All the guys understand."

"Yeah, but I'm sure Leah didn't. She practically stormed out when Sue asked her to show me around."

"Don't mind her. We don't. She has issues."

"Like with Sam?" I asked slowly. Jacob stopped wiping his tools. He looked at me. "I noticed how Leah reacted when Sam tried to help her out. The way she said his name, it was practically dripping with hatred or something."

"It's complicated." He went back to the car. Great, just as I was able to hold a good conversation, I say the wrong thing and shut the whole thing down.

"I'm sure all break-ups are," I offered, hoping to revive the conversation.

"Yeah, but theirs takes the cake."

"I wouldn't be sure about that," I muttered to myself, thinking about my own recent break-up.

"What was that?" Jacob asked, turning back to me.

"Oh, nothing." A frown came to his face. _Change the subject._ "So, tell me about your friends." I pushed myself off the table and leaned against the car, watching him work.

"My friends? Alright," he said, still focusing on the car. "There's Sam. He's the oldest, he keeps us in line and is engaged to Emily. Jared, he's always up with a bet. I think you met his girlfriend Kim?" I nodded. "Then there's Paul, the temperamental one-"

"Who is dating your sister," I offered.

"Right, thanks for reminding me." I smiled as he rolled his eyes. "Then there's Embry he's the shy one, the most reserved between all of us. Quil, he's the 'sweet one'." I raised my eyes. "Emily's words, not mine. Then there's Brady and Collin, but I don't really know them that well. Then Leah, always scowling and Seth-"

"The adorably cute one," I finished for him, smiling.

"I think he's a little young for you," he teased. I giggled. "Now, tell me about yourself."

I shook my head. "I don't really like talking about myself."

"Then how do you expect me to get to know you?" He gave a smile, one that made me realize how cute he was. I smiled back. He stopped what he was doing and wiped his hands clean, at least as clean as he could with the already dirtied rag. "Have you ever ridden on a motorcycle?"

"Me? Motorcycle?" I shook my head. "My dad would kill. He's a tad bit overprotective, especially since-" I stopped. I really needed to think things through before speaking.

"Well, if I'm not mistaken. Your dad is a few thousand miles away," he told me with a mischievous grin. He made his way to the corner of the garage and uncovered a black motorcycle. He picked up a helmet and offered it to me. A small panic rose in my chest. I glanced at the motorcycle then back at Jacob.

"Come on," Jacob coaxed with a smile. It was a nice smile, but it wasn't enough. I started to shake my head. He let go of his hold on the motorcycle and walked over to me. He was a lot taller than I thought he was. He was probably a foot taller than my 5'5" height, maybe more. He placed the helmet on my head. "I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me."

Finally I nodded. I pulled the helmet all the way down on my head as Jacob wheeled out the motorcycle.

He got on and looked back at me.

"Where's your helmet?" I asked.

"I don't need one," he told me. "Don't worry, I'll be careful."

I nodded and slowly took my place behind him. He guided my arms around his waist. I felt his hard abs. This guy took his work-outs seriously.

"Ready?" he asked over the roaring engine.

"Yeah! Hurry before I changed my mind!"

With that we took off down the road. I held onto him tighter as he picked up his speed. He took a turn on the road which seemed to lead to the beach. I barely smelled salty sea air through the helmet, but the cold ocean air swiped at my hands and neck. At that time, I wished that I didn't have the helmet on. I wanted to be able to fully breathe in the sea air and feel the wind through me hair.

Starting to feel comfortable and more confident, I loosened my hold on Jacob. I reached one hand up in the air. I felt Jacob's abs shake. He was laughing. I noticed a small group of people on the beach. A few of them turned and waved. I realized that it was the rest of the guys. I was expecting Jacob to pull over, but instead, he gave a single wave and continued down the road. I waved too and I heard them hollering and yelling, but couldn't make out what they said. We continued down the winding road until we passed a sign posting for a dead end ahead. He slowed down to a stop and I got off. I took off my helmet, my cheeks hurting from smiling the whole ride.

"Wow, that was…awesome!" I told him. He smiled. I turned around to face the crashing waves. "You're so lucky living so close to the beach."

"Yeah, that's another thing we do around here. Hang out at the beach."

"Yeah, I saw that. Aren't they cold?" I asked. "Or do they just enjoy walking around with their shirts off."

Jacob laughed. I walked back towards the bike and leaned against it.

"This place is amazing," I told him, watching the waves crash against the shore. The small amount of sunlight I saw when I woke up was now gone and grey clouds dominated the sky, but it was still beautiful. So calming. We took a few minutes to admire the scene before us in silence.

"Come on, we should head back. Looks like it's starting to rain." I looked up at the sky and sure enough, a rain droplet hit my forehead. I straightened up and handed him the helmet.

He shook his head. "You're wearing it."

"I think I'll be fine without it."

"Wear it!" He argued.

"But you're a good driver. Plus I can't breathe in there."

"Please, Jade," he pleaded.

"I want to enjoy the breeze and breathe in the ocean air," I whined. He sighed in defeat and took the helmet. He put it on as I climbed behind him.

He revved the motorcycle into life and headed back down the road. Within minutes heavy drops came pelting down.

"Where did this rain come from?" I asked, hiding my face on his back. "It wasn't this bad a minute ago!"

"Welcome to Forks, Washington," he laughed. I felt my two layers of clothing get soaked and stick to my skin. My teeth started chattering and I shivered. I moved closer to Jacob, hoping to get warmer. I felt a warm hand cover mine.

"Are you okay?"

"I-I'm f-freezing!"

"Hold on," he said as he pulled over and stopped. He got off the bike and motioned for me to move to the front.

"Wha-"

He quickly picked me up and moved me up. He took off the helmet and then his jacket.

"Wh-what are you d-doing?"

He ignored me as he took off his shirt. I averted my gaze, but not before I noticed his toned body. I knew that he had a nice body when I felt his abs through his shirt, but I didn't expect it to be that good and toned.

"You're g-gonna get s-sick," I shivered. He dropped his clothes on the ground and got behind me. His naked body touched my clothed one and I instantly felt warmer. He brought his arms around and placed his hands on top of mine. His touch was warm on my freezing skin.

"Hang on," he said into my ear. He rode the motorcycle down the road. I realized that my teeth stopped chattering and I was finally able to feel my hands. The little red house showed up into view and we reached it within minutes. He slowed down to a stop. I got off the bike and ran inside the garage with Jacob rolling the motorcycle along beside him.

"This rain is ridiculous!" I told him. "And you're like a personal heater!"

He laughed as he set the motorcycle to stand. A honking of a car horn caught our attention. Aunt Corinne's Rav-4 slowed to a stop in front of Jacob's house. I turned back to Jacob and gave him another smile.

"Thanks for the ride," I told him. "I had fun."

"I'm glad," he said, smiling back.

I gave a wave and turned to leave but stopped when he called out to me.

"If you're up for it, Emily and Sam are having a dinner on Wednesday. Nothing too big, just a casual little get together." He shrugged nonchalantly.

I nodded my head, not even thinking twice about it. "Yeah, sure."

"I'll pick you up?"

"Jade!" My aunt called. I quickly agreed before waving and running to my aunt's car.

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><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please read and review so I know what you readers are thinking and feeling about my story so far!


	4. Chapter 3

**CHAPTER 3**

The next few days were somewhat eventful. My first day at Forks High School was nerve-racking, but I made it through with minimal panic attacks. It was a small school, so being the new girl wasn't overlooked. I received a lot of curious stares and little whispers which didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. My classes went along fine; none of them were intimidating enough for me to worry about catching up. As for lunch, I was invited by a girl from my physics class to sit with her and her group of friends. As I followed her to their usual table, I looked around the cafeteria. Immediately I was able to make out a few of the typical school cliques. The jocks and cheerleaders claimed two tables in the far right corner while the opposite side had what I later found out to be the Nerd Area. Band geeks, drama-ramas, and the smartsies all congregated there. As for my new group of friends, they seemed to be a mix of it all, taking up residence at the tables in the center of the cafeteria. I was now part of the popular crowd. Sarah, the girl from my physics class introduced me around. There was Jennifer, Aimee, Sandra, Tyler, Matt, Kyle, and Derek. There were a few others, but those were the main ones who had any interest in talking with me. Immediately, Matt volunteered himself to show me around the rest of the day. I graciously accepted, not wanting to start off on the wrong foot. By the end of the day, I had a general feel of what type of guy Matt was. He was a jerk. Well, he wasn't a jerk to me, but I knew it was only because he was trying to impress me which he did not, at all.

The second day was a bit better. It didn't take me that long to familiarize myself with the school. My new friends made fitting in a cinch. Only thing that I dreaded was any time I had to spend with Matt. I had a few classes with him and he made it a point to make sure I was seated next to him. I hoped that eventually he would get the hint that I was not interested one bit. Luckily, some of Matt's friends were a bit nicer than he was and helped me out whenever he was being a bit too pushy which was about 70% of the time.

Finally, Wednesday came; my third day of school. I was already getting used to the routine I had going. I would wake up, have breakfast with Aunt Corinne and both of us would be on our separate ways, me to school and her to Port Angeles to mind her shop. I would drive to school and a parking spot would always be open where all my friends hung around at until the first bell rang. Classes were always uneventful, not that I have anything against learning. I enjoy it, but like I said, it's just uneventful. Lunch would come around and I would sit at the middle tables with my new found friends, talking, gossiping, and just plain socializing. I forgot how it was like having a group of friends.

Back at the gates, I was always with my ex-boyfriend. Every now and then we would sit with his friends, but I wasn't really a fan of them and they weren't a fan of me. I was perplexed at how they came to be friends in the first place. Brett was a good guy. He was the quarterback of the football team and a track star. He was involved in school functions and did well in school. He was a mama's boy, always checking in with his mom to let her know where he was so she wouldn't worry. After his dad and brother died in a hunting accident, he was all she had.

Now, Brett's friends, they were a troublesome bunch. They acted out in class and always walked down the hallways as a group. Lukas, the leader and Brett's best friend, always called the shots. When he targeted one kid, the rest of his group followed suit. Lukas was also on the football team with Brett, but he was awful. Not awful meaning not good, more like awful meaning he didn't care if he hurt anyone, like he was looking forward to inflicting pain. He was ruthless, I guess I should say. He always had something smart to say to me, and Brett was always caught in the middle. I was always told by him to just ignore Lukas. It was kind of hard since Lukas made it a point to annoy me every single day. It only got worse when my brother started hanging out with him.

"Jade!" I jumped at Matt's loud voice.

"What?" I asked, irritated.

"Easy, tiger," Matt joked. "I was just asking you if you wanted to meet up so we could study for the test tomorrow."

"Oh, no," I said. Laughter erupted from our table.

"She just rejected you!" cried Tyler.

"I meant that I already had plans," I explained, seeing Matt's face turn red from embarrassment or anger, I didn't know.

"Hot date already?" Jennifer teased.

I shook my head. "Just having dinner at a friend's."

"Didn't know you had other friends than us," Kyle said, pretending to be hurt.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes, I do. Well, they're more like acquaintances for now. They're my aunt's friend's kids plus their friends."

The bell saved me from any further explanation. As usual, Matt was at my side walking me to my next class.

"How about we hit the books right after school and I'll have you home right before the dinner?"

I resisted the urge to groan. "No, thanks Matt. I have other homework I want to get done before going out tonight. Besides I study better on my own." Hopefully that would help to avoid any future invitations from Matt to study.

"Alright, fair enough. So what are you doing this weekend?" Before I could answer, Mr. Lloyd entered the classroom. I gave Matt an apologetic smile and pointed to our teacher. He was strict and didn't tolerate any talking during class unless it was about class work.

Two classes later, I was at my locker. I quickly grabbed the books and notes I needed for the night and practically ran out of the school and to my car. It was ridiculous how I was acting just because of Matt. I sped away from school and headed home. Once I was certain that Matt didn't follow me, I jumped out of my car and went inside.

As usual, Aunt Corinne wasn't home. She didn't get back from Port Angeles until 6. I grabbed a snack and headed to my room, determined to knock out at least half of my English essay. I was in full on good student mode, finishing a rough draft of my essay and reading the assigned chapter for history. I was about to start on my math homework when the doorbell rang. My stomach dropped at the thought of Matt being the uninvited guest, but after looking at the clock, I realized that it was Jacob.

"Shit!" I ran to my closet and started rummaging through my clothes. Then I decided that letting him in first would be better than making him wait out in the cold. I ran downstairs and opened the door.

"Hi!" he said, smiling at me. I smiled back.

"Uh, come in!" I said stepping back. He entered and I shut the door behind him. "Um, I'm sorry, I lost track of the time so I'm not quite ready yet."

"It's okay. You look nice." I gave him a look. I was still dressed in my faded jeans and a plain brown long sleeve.

"Well, I'm just gonna go change right quick." I guided him to the living room. "Make yourself comfy. Watch TV or something. Give me ten minutes!"

I ran up stairs and into the bathroom. I washed my face and brushed my teeth. I made my way to my room and quickly chose an outfit: a pair of skinny jeans topped with a dark purple v-neck sweater top. I pulled on my black boots and grabbed my peacoat. I glance myself in the mirror and decided to wear my hair down. Satisfied that I looked presentable, I exited my room and went downstairs. I found Jacob sitting on the couch, his feet propped on the coffee table, watching TV. _Wow, he really made himself right at home_.

"Ready?" I asked, pulling my coat on.

He stood up and nodded. He turned off the TV and we headed out of the house.

"You look nice," he told me.

"You already told me that," I reminded him. He shrugged.

"You always look nice."

I smiled at the ground. He held the passenger side door open for me and I hopped in. I felt the car dip down when he took his place behind the wheel.

"Are you ready?" he asked, turning the engine.

I took a deep breath. "We'll see, I guess." He let out a laugh.

"Teasing and arguments are kinda our thing, but I'll do what I can to help make you feel comfortable."

I nodded. "Is Seth going to be there? Along with his 100 questions?" I was kidding. Well, kind off. I wanted to know so I could be certain not to say anything that might pique his interest and ask a question I didn't or couldn't answer.

"Most likely, but that's Seth for you. Always smiling, always cheery, always asking questions. Pretty annoying at times."

"I don't mind it. Reminds me of my little brother," I said.

"You miss him?" He asked, glancing sideways at me.

"Yeah," I said, looking away and out my window. We were out of the neighbor and nearing the main road that led to La Push. Silence enveloped us.

"So, yeah," Jacob said, clearing his throat. "Seth will definitely be there. A small chance of Leah being there. Quil and Embry. Sam and Emily, of course. Paul and Rachel, maybe Jared and even Kim."

I nodded. "You guys are all close, huh?"

He gave a slight nod as he shrugged. "We are, I guess. We kinda have to be."

"Why's that?" I asked. He kept his eyes on the road. I recognized the look in his eyes. It was the same look Brett had whenever I questioned him and he always avoided answering it. "You don't have to tell me."

Jacob raised his eyebrow.

"I mean, it's a weird question to ask," I told him. "So, how was your day today?" I quickly added, eager to chang the subject.

A small smile appeared. "It's was alright, how about yours?"

The remainder of the drive was spent by me recounting my day at school. Boring, I know, but what else did I have to talk about? I mean, it was a safe topic.

Soon we pulled up to a brown house that was nestled a little into the woods. I heard the sounds of laughing coming from inside. Suddenly, my heart felt like it was hammering against my chest causing it tighten. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. My eyes opened at the sound of the car door opening. Jacob held out his hand for me to take. Slowly I reached my hand to place in his. I sense of comfort washed over me and I gave him a smile.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," I told him. He gave my hand a tug and we walked hand in hand towards the house. Jacob, like a gentleman, opened the door for me and I stepped inside.

"Who goes there?" boomed a voice. I knew it belonged to one of the guys. I just wasn't sure which.

"Shut up, Paul!" Jacob cried, appearing beside me. With his hand on my back, we walked through the living and into the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone screamed. I was confused for a second. It wasn't my birthday. Emily made her way towards us with Sam right behind her. She gave Jacob a hug then turned to me to do the same.

"Happy Birthday, Jake," Sam said, clapping a hand on Jacob's shoulder. I watched as everyone else greeted Jacob a happy birthday.

"Hurry and sit down! We've been waiting for you two! I'm starving!" Embry cried. Jacob led the way to the remaining two empty seats.

"You didn't tell me it was your birthday," I said in a low voice.

"It's not a big deal."

"But I didn't get you a present."

"It's alright. You came and that's enough for me," he replied giving me another one of his amazingly sweet smiles.

"Oh yeah," Embry called out. "Jared and Kim couldn't make it. She has a test tomorrow and he's helping her study. But they told me to tell you happy birthday!"

"How about Leah?" I asked, seeing that she was the only other person that Jacob mentioned would be there.

"It's better without her, trust me," Paul told me.

"Hey!" Seth cried. "My sister isn't _that_ bad!"

Paul scoffed.

"Alright," Jacob said clapping Seth on the shoulder. "Paul didn't mean anything by it. Besides, you know Leah has better other things to do."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Can we eat now?" Quil asked.

Emily, Rachel, and I got our food before letting the guys have at it. Everything was going nice and smoothly, until Embry accidentally spilled his drink all over Paul. Of course, Paul wasn't too pleased and the jokes made by the rest of the guys didn't help. Everyone stopped when Paul started shaking.

"Paul, step outside!" Sam yelled. I jumped at the tone of his voice.

"Paul, calm down. It was an accident!" Rachel said, putting her hand on his arm.

"Rachel, get away from him!" Jacob cried, jumping up. I copied his action and stood up. Jacob turned at my movement and moved his body so that he blocked me from Paul's direction. It was as if he was protecting me from Paul.

The tension in the room was thick and everyone seemed on edge. It was dead silent as we all watched Paul shaking, huffing and puffing, his eyes fixed on Embry who was on a defensive position. Quil's hand was on Embry's shoulder and Seth was on his other side. _Were they going to fight?_ I moved closer to Jacob and grabbed onto his arm.

"Just breathe," Rachel murmured to Paul.

"Rachel," Jacob called again.

"Jake, just wait," Sam told him. Rachel had her hands on Paul's face, forcing him to break his glare from Embry and instead, to focus on her. After murmuring more soothing words to Paul, his shaking stopped and every seemed to relax. Rachel smiled and placed a kiss on her boyfriend's lips.

"Awww, how nauseating!" Embry teased, taking his seat. Everyone laughed. It was weird how quickly the mood changed. I looked down and realized that my hand was in Jacob's. I gave him a slight smile as I took it back and sat down.

"I guess everyone's ready for dessert?" Emily asked. There was a chorus of yes around the table.

"Let me help with that," Rachel said, giving one last kiss on Paul's cheek before bounding in the kitchen behind Emily.

The table was silent. I caught a few glances in my direction.

"So, Jade," Sam said, breaking the silence. "How are you fitting in at your new school?"

"Great," I told him. "The high school's a small one so making friends was easy."

"Any guy catch your attention?" Paul asked, grinning at Jacob.

"No. I mean, I'm not really looking at the moment."

"Oh, ouch," Paul said still looking at Jacob. I looked at him questioningly.

"Don't mind him," Jacob told me. I nodded.

"Tell us about yourself, Jade," Paul said, leaning forward on the table with a smirk on his face.

"She doesn't like talking about herself," Jacob answered for me, narrowing his eyes at Paul.

"It's alright. I'll just ask questions," Paul replied. "What's your favorite color?"

"Purple."

"Favorite subject?" Quil asked.

"Math."

"Favorite animal?" Embry questioned with a smile. The guys laughed.

"Good one!"

"Hmm, I don't really have one," I told him.

"How about a wolf?" Seth asked cheerily.

"No, no, no," I answered quickly and laughed.

"Why not?" Jacob asked.

"I'm just not a fan," I told them. It was their turn to hold a look of shock on their faces. "There were quite a few back home, running around in the forest near the community. They always kind of freaked me out."

"You're scared of wolves?" Paul asked amused.

"No, I wouldn't say _scared_ per se, more like…" I shrugged when I couldn't find a better word. "I don't know, I just don't like them." It was after I said that sentence that I realized I was thinking of Lukas and his little group of friends rather than actual wolves. Considering what they were though, it wasn't much of a difference. Wolf, werewolf, the same thing right? They were the reason why I wasn't a fan of wolves. I shuddered at the thought of one particular memory that literally scarred me for life.

"Are you alright?" Jacob asked. I blushed, realizing that I zoned out again.

"Yeah," I said.

"Too much wolf talk for you?" Paul joked.

"As a matter of fact, yes," I told him. I stood up. "I'm gonna go see if they need help with dessert."

I headed towards the direction of the kitchen. I looked at picture frames that hung along the hallway wall. A particular picture caught my eye. It was one of two girls with an arm over each others' shoulders. The little girls looked familiar. Obviously, Emily was one of them and the other… I gasped. It was Leah. I tore my eyes away from the picture and stepped into the kitchen.

"I still can't believe you got Paul to calm down and stopped him from pha- Jade!" Emily cried seeing me.

"I just wanted to see if you needed any help?"

"Of course, thank you!" Emily replied. I took my place between them and started topping the sliced pies with whip cream.

"I'm sorry for what happened in there with Paul," Rachel began.

"Oh, it's okay. Jacob told me."

The two stopped what they were doing. I looked at each of them, both looking surprised.

"Jake, told you? Already?"

"Uh, yeah. Jacob told me a little about the guys. He told me Paul was the temperamental one." I explained.

"What else did he tell you?" Rachel asked.

"That's it." I watched as the two girls relaxed then frowned.

"Let's go bring these pies in before they start complaining," Emily said with a smile. I picked up a tray and followed them out of the kitchen.

"Just tell her!"

"Who cares if she doesn't like them, she has-"

"What is this?" Rachel cried. "Another fight?"

She took her place beside Paul and gave him another kiss.

A gagging sound was heard. Quil was sticking his finger in his mouth and pretending to vomit.

"Grow up Quil," Rachel said rolling her eyes.

"What? You two are always grossing me out!"

"You're complaining?" Jacob asked. "Paul practically lives in our house!"

Everyone laughed, Rachel especially.

"I remember the day when Jacob found out Paul and I started dating," she began making Jacob groan. "He damn near always beat the crap out of Jacob!"

"Only because I knew you'd get mad if I did too much damage to him," Paul said.

Jacob scoffed. "We can always have a rematch."

"Alright, boys, none of that in my house," Emily told them.

"How did you two meet?" I asked, wanting to keep another fight from happening.

"Well," Rachel said smiling and looking lovingly at Paul. Jacob, Embry, and Seth all rolled their eyes. "I came back after being away for college. I decided it was time to come home and see my dad and Jacob. It was a beautiful morning that day and I wanted to take a walk along beach."

"Luckily for me," Paul cut in. "Jared dragged me out of bed that day to, uh, go for a run and ended up on the beach." I caught the glances Paul cast on the other guys. He was lying about something, but I let it slide and only nodded.

"I saw him and he saw me and he walked right up to me and just asked me out on a date," Rachel finished.

"Wow, so was it like love at first sight?" I joked.

"Something like that," Paul answered making everyone laugh. I felt like I was on the outside of an inside joke.

"How about you two?" I asked turning to Sam and Emily. The room got quiet. Sam seemed uncomfortable under my gaze. Emily put a hand on his.

"It's a long story," she said smiling at me. I nodded, aware of the awkward silence in the room. I looked at Seth.

"How about you?" I asked him. I smiled at the thought of me turning the tables and asking him a hundred questions.

"Huh?" He asked, his mouth full of pie and whipped cream smudge around his lips.

"Is Renesme your girlfriend?" Seth smiled, but a blush creeped to his cheeks. Emily and Rachel sounded out with "awws" but the guys remained quiet. "How did you two meet?"

"Well," Seth began.

"Seth," Jacob said in a warning tone.

"It's a long story, too," Seth finally said, looking down at his pie. I nodded again. A voice in the back of my head told me that something was off about them.

"So, Jade," Rachel began after a while. "Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No," I said shaking my head.

"How about a crazy ex-boyfriend we should know about?"

I laughed.

"Rachel," Jacob growled.

"I'm just asking Jacob! Just making sure she has no baggage from back home!" The two siblings continued to give each other looks.

"It's fine Jacob," I told him. "I have an ex-boyfriend but I wouldn't exactly call him crazy." _He's just your average teenage werewolf_, I thought to myself with a smile.

"Did you two break up because you had to move?"

"Rachel stop, that's not any of your business!"

"Don't you want to know these things, Jake?" Paul asked.

"Yeah, I mean after Bel- ow!" Quil shoved Embry off the chair in retaliation for elbowing his ribs.

"Ugh, boys," Emily said, rubbing her temples.

I turned my body to face Rachel. It was hard trying to have a conversation without any of the guys commenting or fighting.

"Actually we broke up before I moved. As it turns out, he wasn't the person who I thought he was," I added the last part, knowing that it would be one of her next questions.

"Wha-"

"It's getting late," Jacob interrupted. "I still gotta drive Jade back home so…"

"No! You're not gonna leave us with the dishes again!" Embry cried.

"It's my birthday," Jacob replied with a smile. Embry sent him a glare.

"Even birthday boys do chores," Rachel told him. "Besides, it will give us time to talk with Jade some more."

Jacob protested but I stood up and gave him a smile before following Rachel into the living room. I heard Emily tell the boys not to break any of her dishes again. I entered the living room and took a seat on one end of the sofa while Rachel took the arm chair across from me.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable in there," Rachel said with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, no. It's okay. Break-ups happen," I replied, shrugging my shoulders. "Honestly, it was my first time actually talking about it since it happened."

"It couldn't have been that bad. I mean, you seem fine and not depress or pining for him." That made me laugh.

"We were only together for a few months or so."

"Were you in love?"

I thought about the question carefully. "He was, but I wasn't." Rachel frowned at my answer.

"You didn't feel the same way about him? Then why would you stay with him?" Her eyes narrowed with her question.

"Don't get me wrong, I liked him. I really genuinely liked him." I smiled at the memory of the first time I met Brett. He looked good with his letterman jacket on, but it was his soft blue-green eyes that really got my attention. Then there was his smile… I shook the memories away. I smiled at Rachel. "After a while I felt he was keeping something from me." I paused. I was nice having someone to talk to, to vent to. I felt the weight of my chest lessen with every word I spoke, but I had to tread carefully. I couldn't say too much. I thought carefully of the following words I'd say. "It's hard to fall in love with a person you only half know, don't you think?" She nodded. "I stayed with him because I thought he'd eventually tell me."

"Did he?"

"No," I said sadly. A small stab of pain hit my heart as I remembered how Brett looked me straight in my eye and lied. "I ended up finding out in the worst possible way and everything just went downhill from there. We argued almost every time we were together."

"I'm sorry," Rachel said.

"Jade," Jacob called as he entered the living room. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," I said, standing up. We all said our good byes before heading out to Jacob's car.

"Sorry about Rachel," Jacob said once he took his place behind the wheel.

"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about. I actually forgot how nice it was to have girls to have a girl talk with."

"Are you saying you didn't have any girl friends back home?"

"Well, no. I mean there was this one girl, but she didn't really like me and she was more of a friend of a friend's. So, no, I didn't."

"Oh, so you're one of those girls," he said, his voice full of amusement. I gave him a questioning look. "The ones who always hung around guys."

"It wasn't by choice." Jacob cocked an eyebrow as if he was waiting for me to elaborate, but I wasn't going to. "So, back at Emily's I noticed something."

"Hmm?"

"There was this picture hung on the wall of the hallway. Of Emily and Leah?" Jacob didn't say anything. He kept his eyes on the road. His silence told me what I was wondering. "Is that what you meant about the whole Sam and Leah thing being complicated?"

He nodded. "That's why anything Sam and Emily or Sam and Leah is kinda off limits."

I smacked his arm. "That would have been a good thing to tell me _before_ I asked about them."

Jacob gave me a sheepish smile. "Oh yeah, huh. That probably would've also saved you from Rachel's interrogation."

"It's fine for the hundredth! Break-ups happen. That's what I told her."

"What happened? You mentioned something about him not being the person you thought he was," Jacob asked after a few minutes of silence lapsed.

I shrugged. _He ended up being a werewolf and didn't tell me when I asked him about it._ Instead I said, "He cheated on me."

"And you found out in the worst possible way?"

"My, my, someone is a bit of an eavesdropper," I teased.

"Nope I just have superhuman hearing." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, there had been rumors flying around about him and this one other girl. I didn't pay it any mind because 1. I trusted him and 2. I was kind of preoccupied with other things to worry about a little rumor. Then one night, I needed him and he wasn't there for me. Instead he was out with the rumored girl. I asked him about it, hoping he'd at least be honest, but he lied to me." I nodded to myself, satisfied with my answer. It was true after all. There had been rumors and I didn't worry about it. And unfortunately, the statement about me catching him with another girl was also true, but it wasn't the main reason we broke up.

"I'm sorry," he said. His eyes narrowed at the road.

"It's fine. I was glad that I found out even though it set certain things in motion and just went downhill from there."

"Is that the reason you moved?"

"No," I said. I fidgeted in my seat, turning my gaze back out the window.

"I'm sorry," Jacob said immediately. "We don't have to talk about it. I shouldn't have asked. I'm prying too much."

I turned back to him. His eyes were sincere and his smile was apologetic. There was something about him that made me want to confide in him, to trust him.

"My brother disappeared," I blurted. "It was a pretty big deal since the Gates was supposed to be this safe haven from all things bad and all of a sudden, a teenager disappears. It kind of caused some problems between the residents. Fingers were pointed, trust was lost. It really shook up everyone. So my parents decided to move me away from it all. Of course they stayed, in case my brother returned or something."

The car slowed to a stop. We were in front of Aunt Cor's house. I silently thanked God. I unbuckled my seatbelt.

"Let me get the door for you," Jacob said as he undid his seat belt and got out of the car. He dashed around and opened my door. I stepped out and thanked out.

"Thanks for inviting me," I told him as we walked towards the front door. "I had a lot of fun."

"No problem," Jacob said. We stopped at the door and I walked up the two steps. I turned to face him, he was still taller than I was. "I'm just glad that you came. I mean, after I was so rude to you and the dinner-"

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you invited me."

He smiled.

"Well, good night, Jacob."

"Good night, Jade."

"And happy birthday," I said before entering the house.

* * *

><p><strong>An:** Sorry for the hold up! I have been quite busy! Please R&R!


	5. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**

I woke up Saturday morning to a surprisingly, sunny day. I practically jumped out of my bed and ran to my window. I stood for a while, admiring the beautiful sun lit sky. It was March already. I had been living in Forks for almost two months now and I was doing just fine. School was going well and my friends were just awesome! I had my school friends who I basically hung out with during school and sometimes on weekends. And when I wasn't hanging out with them, I was hanging out with Jacob and his friends. Things were going great for me, but that didn't mean I forgot about everything back at the Gates. My parents called me every week and updated me on things at the Gates. My mom provided me with the latest gossip that I didn't really care about while my dad updated me on the cases he was working on. Rarely did they ever mention my brother's case until last night's phone call.

"_Jade, honey, it's been three months since your brother…," my dad struggled to say the word._

"_Dad, he's just lost. He's not dead, okay?" I told him._

"_Most kids who disappear or get lost are-"_

"_I know, within 48 hours. But you said it yourself, there's something off about Conor's disappearance. You and I both know that he's still out there somewhere, alive!"_

"_I know, sweetheart. Frank Buckley came into the station today. He wants us to back off from this case."_

"_He can't do that!" I practically screamed into the phone. "Dad, you can't give up!"_

"_I'm not honey. Never. Officially, Conor's disappearance is no longer a matter of the Gates Police."_

"_Unofficially?"_

"_I'm trying to solve it when I'm not on duty," my dad informed me. "Marcus and Leigh are the only ones backing me up on this. Then there's Dylan and Claire."_

I felt sadness creep in just thinking about Conor. I sighed and headed to the bathroom. It was time to start the day. After washing up, I decided a nice run would be enough to raise up my spirits. I started running again once the weather was warm enough to. I started around the track at school. Matt showed it to me and ever since then, he and I would run together. I didn't mind Matt so much anymore. I guess I got used to him or maybe he eased up on his advances on me. Either way, I was able to tolerate having a conversation with him now. But today, I need to be alone. I needed to be able to just run and think. Maybe I'll think of something, anything that could help my dad and his little team solve Conor's case. I threw on a pair of sweats and a work out shirt. I decided a sweater might be smart in case the weather changed last minute. I grabbed my cell phone and my iPod before heading out the door. Fortunately for me, Aunt Corinne was up in Port Angeles. Instead of jumping in my car, I jogged to the end of the street where the forest began. Two months here and I have yet to hear anything bad about people going in the woods.

My music flooded my ears and my jog slowly increased to a nice, steady run. Soon, my music faded as my thoughts took over. I was busy thinking about the day Conor disappeared when I felt pain shoot up my right leg. I fell to the ground. My calf was cramping and my ankle was hurting. I held my foot up until the cramp slowly went away. I massaged at it until it felt a lot better. Then I touched my ankle. I winced at the pain. I slowly got up, taking extra care not to put weight on my right foot. I used the nearby tree to steady myself. A movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. I turned my head in the direction, but saw nothing. My music was still playing so I paused it and took out my ear phones. I definitely saw something because now, I was hearing something. I looked around me. Nothing. Nothing but trees and bushes. I rested against the tree, not knowing if I could run or even walk if anything came at me.

A snapping twig made me look to my left. A rustling sound came from my right. I turned and caught a glimpse of something. It was big and had light brown fur… My eyes widened as one thing popped into my head. _Wolves_. I pushed myself off the tree and limped towards the direction I came from. Or so I thought. Pain flared in my ankle everytime my right foot made contact with the ground.

"Hey!"

I screamed, first in surprise, then in pain as I put too much weight on my right foot and headed down to the forest floor. The impact never came. Instead, a pair of strong arms caught me.

"What are you doing here Jade?" a familiar voice cried.

"Jared?" I was relieved to see a familiar face. "What are you doing here?"

He laughed. "I asked you first. I thought we told you not to go into the woods."

"I, uh, I needed a change of scenery for my run."

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah. Wait, no. I fell and I think I did something to my ankle."

"Everything okay?" I turned at the sound of Paul's voice.

"Yeah, she did something to her ankle though," Jared told him.

"This is why you shouldn't be here," Paul told me. "What if we didn't bump into you? What would you have done?"

"I was on my way home anyway," I defended myself.

"You were headed further into the woods!" Paul yelled.

"Paul, chill! Let's just get her back!" Jared said. Paul huffed and puffed, before nodding. Jared made his way in front of me. "Hop on."

I jumped and Jared hoisted me onto his back.

"What were you two doing here anyway?"

"Just running," Jared replied. Paul seemed to mad to want to make conversation.

"So why can you guys run here but I can't?"

"Paul you want to answer that?"

"Because."

I rolled my eyes.

"Don't worry, he's always like that with everyone." I giggled along with Jared. After twenty more minutes of walking, the trees started thinning and I saw the neighborhood again. "Think you can walk from here?"

I nodded and he carefully set me down.

"Jade!"

"Jacob?" I watched as Jacob ran towards me. "What are you doing here?"

"I was dropping by to see what you were up to."

"How lucky, huh?" Jared said, smiling at me.

"Thanks guys, I'll take it from here," Jacob told them. He nodded at both of them.

"Stay out of the woods, Jade!" Jared called back as he followed Paul back into the forest.

"What were you doing there anyway?" Jacob asked. I rolled my eyes. "Didn't we tell you not to-"

"Can we do this later? I need to take care of my ankle!" I cried.

Jacob apologized and in one swift move, picked me up in his arms. He began walking towards the house.

"I was just going for a run," I told him. "I didn't think it'd be that bad. I was thinking and suddenly something happened with my ankle and I fell, and my calf started cramping and I ended up going the wrong direction."

"Told you not to go in the forest," was all he said.

"I know!" I groaned. "Jared and Paul were there. And I remember Paul being in the forest the first time I met him!"

"They like running."

"So do I! I still don't understand why they can be there but I can't."

"They can protect themselves," Jacob simply said.

"But, I saw something!" I felt Jacob pause in his step.

"What did you see?" he asked, sounding worried.

"I don't know. It was big and furry." Jacob resumed his walking.

"That's why you shouldn't be there by yourself." We reached the house. I unlocked the door as Jacob still held onto me. He carried me inside and sat me on the couch. I elevated my ankle. Jacob excused himself and went into the kitchen. I heard drawers and cupboards being opened.

"What are you doing?" I called but got no response. Jacob came back a few minutes later with a glass filled with a dark green liquid.

"Here." He handed me the glass. My stomach lurched at the sudden bitter smell coming from the glass.

"What is this?"

"Uh, it's this one drink your aunt made me one time when I got hurt. Works like magic, I swear!"

I was doubtful.

"Jade, please, just drink it."

I held my breath and down the liquid in two gulps. I closed my eyes and willed myself not to throw up. "Ugh!" Jacob bit back a laugh and took my glass back into the kitchen. I sat as I felt the liquid slide down to my stomach, filling it with a warm sensation. Jacob returned from the kitchen.

"Well, I guess the beach is out for today," he joked taking a seat next to me.

"Sorry," I mumbled.

"It's okay." We both stared at the black TV screen. "Jade, I really mean it when I say you shouldn't go in the woods by yourself."

I nodded.

"It's really important-"

"I know, Jacob. I understand. There was a forest behind the Gates and we were always told not to go there. There were wolves running around there."

He nodded. I sighed.

"They're dropping the case," I said in a low voice.

"What?"

"My dad told me that they're making him drop the case of my brother's disappearance. They didn't have much evidence to begin with and they haven't found anything new since then, so they're dropping it."

"I'm sorry," he said. He placed his hand over mine and gave it a squeeze.

"My dad isn't giving up though. He said he'd still work on it when he can and he has two of his officers willing to help." I leaned my head back, not realizing that Jacob had his arm on top of the couch. "I just wanted to run. I just wanted to run and zone out, be in my own world. I wanted to think and see if I overlooked something that could help my dad. I think better when I'm running freely, not knowing where I'll end up. Not restricted to a simple run around the track." I smiled.

"Well, how about this," Jacob said. "I'll run with you. Just tell me when and I'm there."

My smile widened.

"Thanks, but I don't think we'll be running any time soon," I replied pointing at my ankle.

Jacob laughed. "Good. Serves you right for not listening!"

I rolled my eyes.

"So," Jacob began. "Tell me about your brother's disappearance."

"There's not much to tell, Jacob," I squirmed uncomfortably in my seat.

"Okay, I just thought that I might be able to help. Maybe pick up something that you might have overlooked or something," he told me, shrugging.

I bit my lip. He was right. He wasn't biased or anything, so he might notice something we haven't.

"Alright," I finally agreed. "It was Friday, January 5th. It was after school and I didn't see my brother anywhere. I figured he was out with his…friends. By the time dinner came around, he still wasn't home. My parents went to some charity dinner, so I went out to go look for him. I ended up going to the police station and asking Leigh, one of my dad's officers to help me. The Gates has this insane security system. Cameras every where and all that. One of the cameras caught Conor heading out the side gate that led to the forest. And…that's about it."

Jacob raised an eyebrow. "I think you've left out a few things." I looked away. He was right. I left out more than a few things. It wasn't because I didn't want to tell him, but I couldn't tell him. It wasn't my business to say anything about anyone else's business. Not my secret to tell.

I turned back to him and gave him a tight smile. "Nope, that's all. Wait, actually, the following day found something in the woods. It was blood, but it belonged to an animal." I felt Jacob tense.

"An animal? What kind of animal?"

I shrugged. "As long as it wasn't human. Apparently there was a hunter in the woods that night. He said he thought he saw something and shot at it. Of course he was drunk, so that led to nowhere."

"You said there were wolves around there?"

This time I felt my body tense. The mention of wolves instantly brought my mind to Lukas and his pack. I felt anger rise up inside me.

"Jade, you okay?" Jacob asked.

"Uh, yeah," I lied, unclenching my jaw and releasing my balled up fists. I plastered a smile on my face. "So, what were you planning on doing today? Besides the beach?"

He shrugged. "Not much. I mean, nothing else but take care of you."

I looked away, the fake smile turning into a genuine one.

He reached for the remote and turned on the TV. We stayed on the sofa, glued to the TV for the next few hours. A few words were spoken here in there, other than that we were comfortable with the silence and one another's company. At one point I even fell asleep, my head resting on his shoulder. Jacob didn't seem to mind since when I woke up, he had his arm resting comfortably on my shoulders.

"What time is it?" I asked, rubbing my eyes awake.

"Almost one," he told me. I sat up and he slowly moved his arm back to his side.

"How's the ankle?" he asked. I lifted my leg off the coffee table and place my foot down on the ground. I felt no pain. I slowly began to rotate it around and still felt no pain.

"Wow, it's a lot better. I guess Aunt Cor's little magic drink helped."

"I told you so," Jacob said with a smile.

My stomach rumbled.

"I'm hungry," I said, standing up slowly. Now I was a hundred percent sure my ankle was healed. "You want anything to eat?"

"Normally, I'd say yes," he replied with a smile, "but I gotta go."

"Oh okay," my voice was filled with disappointment. I hope he didn't catch it.

"But I'll be back. I just have some, uh, errands to run." I nodded. He stood up. "Walk me out?"

I nodded again and led him down the hall to the front door.

"I'll be back in a few hours or so," he said, giving my hand a squeeze. He gave me one last smile before heading out side. It was then I realized that his car was nowhere to be found. I watched in disbelief as he cut a left down the street and jogged into the woods. I rolled my eyes and headed back inside to make myself lunch.

As I ate my sandwich, my mind began to wander to the forbidden forest. I thought about reasons why it was deemed dangerous for me but not for the guys. There was the obvious reason: safety. Like Jacob reminded me time and time again, it wasn't safe. At least, not for me and they had a point on that. Who knew what lurked in the forest, aside from animals of course. I recalled a news report I saw one time of an escaped convict who hid out in the forest. I pictured my 5'4" frame going up against the convict who was reported to be 6' and weighed close to two hundred pounds. Then I pictured the La Push boys, all who cleared the 6' mark and matched with their muscular frames, would certainly be able to take on whatever dangers, animals or convicts, were in the forest.

I looked down at my plate and saw that it was empty. My mind was so preoccupied I didn't even remember enjoying my sandwich. My stomach still rumbled, unsatisfied with my poor lunch. I started making another sandwich. I began eating my sandwich. This time I gave it my full attention. After finishing it, I opened a can of soda and drank half the can. I heard the door open and close.

"Jade?" came Aunt Corinne's voice.

"In the kitchen," I hollered as I cleaned up my mess.

"Hey," Aunt Cor greeted as she entered the kitchen. "Had lunch already?"

"Just finished actually."

She nodded. Then she stiffened and her eyes narrowed.

"Did you go through my stuff?" she asked, pointing at the big drawer of the island. It was opened half an inch with the corner of a tattered book poking out.

I shook my head.

"Then who-"

"Jacob," I told her, finally realizing what Jacob had been up to earlier. "Long story short, my did something to my ankle and he swore that one of your teas would do the trick."

She nodded as she tucked the book back in the drawer and closed it shut.

"What happened to your ankle?"

I sighed. "The point of the whole 'long story short' part is so I don't have to retell the long story."

"I know, but I have a feeling you only said that part because you are hiding something."

"How do you do that?" I asked. This wasn't the first time she was right. It was almost like she could read my mind, but Aunt Cor liked to explain it as her just being clairvoyant. Isn't that about the same thing though?

"What did you do to your ankle?" she asked again.

"I sprained it."

"How?"

"Running."

"Where?"

I groaned. "I think you already know. And before you start lecturing, Jacob, Jared, and Paul already said enough about me not being in the forest, blah, blah, blah. Not being safe, blah, blah, blah. Wild animals, wolves, and escaped convicts, blah, blah, blah."

"Escaped convicts?" she asked alarmed. I laughed. "Wait, wolves? So…Jacob told you?"

"Told me what?"

"About the…wolves?"

I stared at her in confusion. "No? I mean, I know there are wolves out there. He didn't have to tell me about that. I hear them howling all hours of the night and sometimes during the day."

"Oh," my aunt said.

"Why? What about the wolves?" I asked, suddenly interested.

"Uh, just that they're dangerous," she replied. I slowly nodded my head. A thought began gnawing at my head.

"Okay, well, I'm just gonna go upstairs and finish up on some homework," I lied. I was actually ahead on all my school work. A fact I told my Aunt a hundred times before, but apparently, she forgot. She was a bit blonde at times.

Aunt Cor only nodded her head and began to busy herself on making her own lunch. I ran up the stairs and opened up my laptop. I launched the internet browser. _Google, don't fail me now._

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong> Dun, dun, dun! What thought could Jade possibly be Googling?_  
><em>

Here's a little preview of what's to come!

_"She knows something," Paul said, his eyes still on me. Those three words were enough to crumble my façade and I felt a tinge of fear show on my face, but only Paul seemed to notice. "You're hiding something." _

_I opened my mouth but nothing came out. He advanced towards me and I backed away._

__Review, pretty please!


	6. Chapter 5

***A/N 2 **added at the end!*******  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 5<strong>

"_Conor! Conor!" I shouted as I walked down the deserted road. My voice echoed around me. I kept walking down the middle of the road, turning my head every now and then to see if I was being followed or watched. I saw a little black gate up ahead and I quickened my pace. As expected, the gate was left unlocked. I glanced up at the camera that was directed at me. The red light wasn't blinking. After closer observation, I saw that the wires had been cut. With one look behind me, I slipped through the gate and into the forbidden forest…_

_The trees towered above me and their branches obscured any trace of the sun or its light. _

"_Jade!" a familiar voice called deep in the woods._

"_Conor!" I called back. I started sprinting towards his direction. Suddenly I felt a familiar pain in my ankle and I was sent face first onto the ground. _

"_You shouldn't be here."_

"_It's too dangerous."_

"_It's not safe for you to be here by yourself."_

_I opened my eyes and stared at three half naked men. Paul, Jared, and Sam stared at me, their arms crossed. _

"_Jade, help!"_

_I stood up at the sound of my brother's distressed voice. My ankle twisted at an odd angle and I was sent back to the ground, only this time I felt no impact. Instead, I felt a pair of arms encircle around my waist._

"_Are you alright?" The voice stopped my heart for a brief second before pumping it into overdrive. I turned around and met a pair of the most beautiful blue green eyes._

"_My bro-"_

"_He's with Lukas. He'll be fine. Lukas will take care of him. Trust me, trust me, trust me…" I covered my ears as the last two words echoed all around me. Only the sound of my brother's screams brought me back. I pushed past Brett and ran deeper into the forest. The warnings of the three La Push boys slowly fading away._

"_Daddy!" I called as I saw a uniformed officer kneeling on the ground._

"_You shouldn't be here, Jade, go home," he told me._

"_We can give you a lift." I turned at Chief Swan's voice._

"_Conor's here, Dad!"_

"_I know, sweetheart. I know," my dad replied solemnly. He suddenly stood up and I saw nothing but dark red. Blood. A big puddle of blood was at my feet._

"_I told you Lukas would take care of him," Brett's voice said. I looked up and gasped as a pack of grey and white wolves emerged from behind the trees and walked towards me._

"_This won't hurt," one of the wolves said. _

"_Jacob?" I asked, recognizing his voice._

_The wolf only growled in response before lunging towards me._

I felt my body jerk in response to my dream. My eyes shot open and I found myself staring at the ceiling, my breathing deep and rapid. My skin felt damp against my clothes. I untangled myself from my blanket and sat up. The dream had been so vivid. And the puddle of blood was just disturbing. _Conor is _not_ dead_. I got out of bed and washed up to get ready for the day.

"Long night?" Aunt Cor asked when I entered the living room. She was sitting comfortably on the couch, watching TV.

"Yeah," I mumbled. I looked at the receiver on top of the TV. The digital clock display read 1:12. My mouth dropped. "It's already one?"

Aunt Cor smiled. "Yup. Jacob called earlier, but I didn't have the heart to wake you. You were really knocked out."

"Oh, what'd he say?"

"I think they're all headed to the beach today," Aunt Cor said.

"When are they not?" I laughed as I made my way into the kitchen.

"Well, there isn't exactly much to do around here," she shouted back.

"I get that, but don't they get tired of the same scene?" I grabbed a muffin and poured myself a glass of milk before heading back to the living room to join Aunt Corrine.

"Probably, but they don't have a choice."

"A choice? To what? To leave?"

"Hmm?" Aunt Cor was clearly distracted by the TV.

"Why can't they leave La Push?"

"I didn't say that," Aunt Cor said defensively. I eyed her suspiciously. "So are you gonna call Jacob back or what?"

"I suppose." I left my half eaten muffin on the coffee table and headed to the kitchen. I picked up the house phone and dialed the Black's number.

"Hello," came Billy's voice.

"Hi, Billy, it's Jade. Is Jacob there?"

"Good afternoon Jade. Hold on, let me get him for you." I thanked him and waited for Jacob to get on the line.

"Hello?" I chill ran down my spine as Jacob's voice came on the line. An image of him as a wolf crossed my mind. "Jade?"

"Uh, yeah, I'm here," I said, shaking the thoughts away. I took a breath before speaking again. "Aunt Cor said you called?"

"Yeah, just wondering if you wanted to go-"

"To the beach," I finished.

Jacob laughed.

"I just woke up, actually," I told him. "Let me finish lunch and I'll meet you there in an hour or so?"

"I can pick you up," he offered.

"No, it's okay. You drive over here too much. I don't want you wasting your gas or anything."

"I don't mind it." My heart hammered against my chest, but I ignored it.

"It's alright, Jacob. It gives me a chance to drive my car there for once." After a few more minutes of arguing, I got my way. I hung up the phone and ate lunch before changing.

"I'm going now," I called out. I waited to hear a response from my aunt.

"Drive safely!" she called back. I walked out and headed towards my, or rather, my dad's car which he gave to me. I threw my bag of beach things into the back seat and started the car. My drive to First Beach started off rather boring. Usually I had either Jacob or Aunt Corinne to keep company, but this was my first time driving by myself to the beach. I hummed along with the song on the radio. I was the only car on the road and I hoped I wouldn't have a repeat of the first time I braved the roads of Forks. I took my time to look at the trees alongside the road. The sight of them brought to mind the result of my research last night.

It started off with me Googling articles about the vast forest surrounding Forks. I found a few articles mentioning animal attacks which was not surprising. Nothing out of the ordinary, I suppose. Animals live in the forest, and they sometimes attack when they feel threatened. When that search turned up nothing interesting, I began searching about wolves. I knew it was a key point to something since Aunt Cor mentioned them earlier. There also seemed to be some kind of joke about them between the La Push boys. I narrowed the search to wolves around the Forks area and was led to a website regarding mythical creatures. A normal person would immediately disregard the page, and since my ex-boyfriend was a mythical creature, it was something that peaked my interest.

Apparently, a local man snapped a picture of a wolf that was as big as a horse. The picture was blurry, but the big black wolf was hard to miss. Then again, it also could have been a bear. The article that came along with the picture talked about Forks' mythical giant wolves. Throughout the article, the writer outlined several mysterious sightings around the woods, one of them being big paw prints. Another was the unexplainable existence of clothing with a piece of rope tied around it. The author reasoned that The article ended with the writer summing it up to a new species of wolves or, for those who believed in the supernatural, werewolves.

I was one of those. I believed in the supernatural. I believed-no. I **knew** werewolves existed. How the La Push group played into it I didn't outright now, but I had my suspicions. My car began to shake and I realized that I was on the shoulder of the road, in danger of driving off the dirt and into forest. Out of surprise, I pushed on my brake and my car immediately stopped. I felt my body fly forward and then back, the seatbelt doing its job. I took a few seconds to compose myself before pulling off again. I kept my eyes on the road and made sure to pay extra attention on my driving.

The sign for First Beach appeared on the right side. I glanced at the rearview mirror as I passed. My peripheral vision picked up something on the right and my eyes darted towards it. I used the side mirror to see what it was but saw nothing. I ignored the voice in my head that whispered _giant wolves_. I turned the volume up on the radio, hoping that it would drown out my thoughts. I felt like I was going crazy. I was getting paranoid. I turned into the parking lot at First Beach. I immediately spotted the La Push guys. They were pretty hard to miss since most of them stood over six feet and were big, muscle wise. Rather than getting out, I remained in my car just watching them. All of them were shirtless, showing their toned and chiseled bodies. I noticed that each of them had some kind of tattoo on their right upper arm. After all the times I hung out with them, shirtless and all, it was my first time actually seeing the tattoo. It looked to be the same, a circle with some markings. A sudden knocking on my window jarred me out from my observation. I jumped and saw that it was only Seth. I smiled as I undid my seatbelt and opened the door.

"What were you doing?" he asked. I stopped myself from rolling my eyes.

"Nothing, just zoning out again," I replied grabbing my bag from the back.

"Oh, well come on!" Seth grabbed my hand. "We're burying Collin and Brady. They stole Paul and Jared's food so now they're being punished."

"Oh boy," I muttered. I tried to keep up with Seth as he led me to the group. I saw two heads sticking out from under the sand. I couldn't help but laugh. Paul and Jared were throwing food at the heads of Collin and Brady. The two younger boys whined and complained, then promised that they'd never swipe food again.

The guys finally noticed my presence and all greeted me.

"I see your ankle is doing better," Jared said, looking down at my leg.

"Yup."

"Good, that means you're good for a game of football!" Embry cried.

"This is going to be touch football, right? Not tackle?" I asked, my eyes wide.

They all laughed.

"Sure," Paul said, rolling his eyes. "We'll go easy on you."

"Hey, what about us?" Collin called. Embry and Seth broke them free.

I followed the guys and realized that Jacob wasn't there.

"Where's Jac-"

"He had to help Sam with something," Quil answered.

Jared and Paul were named the team captains and they took turns picking their teammates. I, of course, being the petite girl was picked last and ended up on Jared's team.

"Be extra careful with Jade," Paul told them. "Jacob will kill you if anything happens to her."

I fought the blush that I felt coming on. We played for almost an half an hour before they finally called for a break. I was winded and dropped to the sand.

"I am out for the next game," I panted. They all laughed as they plopped down on the sand too. I took this time to study them again. They acted like any other teenage boy. They joked around, they played football, they picked fights, but at the same time, something about them was…off. I couldn't put my finger on it. _Wolves. Werewolves._ I tried ignoring the voice again, but the information I read last night began to repeat in my head. _Giant wolves_. _As big as a horse._ The voice grew louder and louder in my head. The tip of my tongue tickled, wanting to just blurt out and ask them what they were. But I couldn't. That could possibly cause trouble, mainly for me. No one liked their secret being found out. Wasn't that the lesson I learned from the Gates? Well this time, I was going to be smart and tread carefully. "So are you guys all on the football team?" This made them laugh harder.

"No, we are not," Embry told me.

"Really? I would've thought you guys would be."

"I want to," Brady said. "But Sam said-"

Collin shoved Brady who fell face first into the sand.

I rolled my eyes.

"If you guys don't do football, you guys do basketball, right?"

"Nope."

"Why-"

"We don't really like doing sports," Paul said.

"But I thought you did track?"

"Who said?" Paul asked.

"Billy said you liked running-"

"Doesn't mean I have to do track."

I rolled my eyes again. Paul was just being Paul. I opened my mouth to ask another question, but stopped when I saw Leah emerge from the woods. Well that was something new, yet I wasn't surprised. She did hang around the guys who all seemed to have frequent visits in the woods. Then again, she was a girl. Sure she was an inch or two taller and a bit more muscle toned that I was, but what was different that her going into the woods was okay?

"Jade?" Seth called out.

"Zoning out again?" Embry joked. I forced a laugh.

"Just wondering why Leah gets to go in the woods and I can't." The group looked at one another while Paul only groaned.

"Just drop it, Jade," he told me. "It's just the damn woods. Trees, trees, and trees. You have no business being there."

"And you do?" I retorted back. Paul opened his mouth, but Jared cut him off.

"You can go in the woods, just not by yourself. And just not at night."

"I can take care of myself," I told them. This caused all of them to burst out laughing for the third time.

"What?" No one answered. They were still laughing.

"What's so funny?" Leah asked, finally joining the group.

"That's what I'm-"

"Jade thinks she can take care of herself," Paul explained, cutting me off. Leah only stared at the laughing guys, the always present scowl on her face. I was glad she wasn't laughing.

"I still don't get what's so funny about that," I said.

"And you never will, unless Jacob decides to finally- Ow!" Paul glared at Embry who was glaring back at him.

"Shut it, Paul!"

"I wasn't going to tell her!" Paul yelled. "I was just going to say if Jacob only-"

"Paul!" Everyone tensed as Sam's voice boomed through the air. I watched as everyone, save for Leah, Seth, Embry, and Quil looked down at the ground. I realized that the four all stood to one side as the rest of the group stood on the other. I found it odd. It was as if even as a whole, they were still divided.

"What's going on here?" Sam asked.

"Oh, you know, just hanging out," Seth answered cheerfully. Sam glanced at Paul then at me.

"Jared, I need to talk to you about something." Jared nodded and walked with Sam. I didn't even have to watch them to know where they were headed: the forbidden forest.

"Don't say anything," Paul growled. I narrowed my eyes at him. Usually I didn't mind Paul, but his attitude was getting to me. My questions from earlier somehow set him off. Or maybe he really was tired of me fussing about the forest. Whichever it was, a part of me wanted to keep pushing his buttons.

"What?" I asked innocently. "I was just going to ask where I could sign up." His fierce gaze faltered into confusion. "I mean, obviously you guys have some sort of secret club going on." I noted the looks that they exchanged. "So what's the deal? Do you guys really sneak off into the woods just to run?"

"Maybe," Paul replied slowly.

"Are you the ones responsible for all the clothing tied with a rope on it?" I laughed. My laugh faltered when I realized that they were all looking at me with expressions of shock.

"What did you say?" Quil asked nervously.

"Wait, that's true?" I asked. I really thought the writer of the article made that part up.

"Where'd you hear about that?" asked Paul, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Paul, she's joking, I think," Brady told him, cupping Paul on the shoulder. He shrugged it off.

"You know, you ask a lot of questions. Have you asked Jacob any of these questions? Why don't you ask him? He's the one who should've told you by now," Paul replied, smirking.

"Shut up, Lahote!" Leah cried.

"She knows something," Paul said, his eyes still on me. Those three words were enough to instill fear in me. So much for being smart.

"What are you talking about, man?" Quil asked. His eyes pleaded with Paul.

"You're hiding something." I opened my mouth but nothing came out. He advanced towards me and I backed away. I felt someone push past and Jacob positioned himself in front of me.

"What's going on?" he asked. Paul took a small step back.

"She's hiding something, Jake," Paul said.

"So? What's it to you?"

"I don't trust her,"Paul growled.

"I do," Jacob exclaimed.

"That's only because you-" Jacob lunged at Paul. The two wrestled on the ground. Embry and Quil jumped in to pull Jacob away. Paul ran for Jacob, but Brady and Collin teamed up and grabbed him by the arms. They struggled to keep a hold on Paul but were saved when Sam and Jared arrived. I stood in surprise as they all headed towards the forest, leaving me with Leah and Seth.

"Paul's right you know." I turned and faced Leah.

"I don't even know what he is talking about."

"Obviously he thinks you're hiding something," Leah said. I kept my expression calm. "And I think so, too." She walked past me and followed the guys.

"Don't mind, Paul," Seth began. "He's just-"

"I know," I said. I picked up my bag. "I should go. I'll see you around Seth." I turned before he could stop me. I jogged to my car and started it without putting on my seat belt. I peeled out of the parking lot and sped all the way home. My hands trembled and my chest began to tighten. I jumped out of the car and ran into the house, not bothering to let my aunt know I was home. Once in my room I began to pace. I rubbed my hands and took deep, even breaths. The way Paul advanced towards me scared me. There was a certain intensity present in his eyes and it brought back the dream again. Was I freaking out for no reason? Was I looking too much into things? Did I want them to be what I thought they were? I shook my head. I heard the door bell ring.

"Jade?" Aunt Cor called. Instead of answering, I ran to my window and looked out into the street. I saw the same old cars parked in their usual spots. "Jacob's here."

I dove onto my bed and brought the blanket over me. I closed my eyes just as Aunt Cor opened my door.

"Jade? Jade?" After what felt like forever, she retreated back downstairs. I held my breath as I strained my ears to hear what was being said.

"She's sleeping. She must've been worn out."

"Yeah, I guess so," I heard Jacob say. I couldn't make out what was said after that so I waited for the front door to creak close, but it never came. After what I guessed to be almost ten minutes, I climbed slowly out of bed and tiptoed to the window. I peered outside. Then I finally heard it. The front door creaked and I heard footsteps outside. I saw the top of Jacob's head appear. I gasped and dropped to the floor when I saw him turn to look at my window. My heart was pounding and I placed my hands over my chest as if to stifle it. The footsteps started again and were slowly fading. I carefully stood up and looked out the window. I was able to catch a glimpse of Jacob heading into the woods. Did he really run all the way here? If so then he was fast. Inhumanely fast. After that thought, I reached for my phone. After punching in the numbers, I brought the phone to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Mom, I want to go home."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** There's Chapter Five for you! Honestly, I'm not too pleased with this but at least I got the main points across in this chapter. I'm sorry for the slow updates, but this little brain of mine just won't stop coming up with new fanfics to write! I already have a second fanfic published, but haven't updated it. Since then, I have come up with a few more fanfic ideas. I am itching to publish another one, but I don't know if I can juggle three fanfics. Since this is my first fanfic, I'm trying to finish this before publishing any more new ones. I have an outline and everything, just need to write the actual story.

With all of that being said. I may not update for a week or two. I am thinking of getting a few chapters of this fanfic down, that way I can publish one chapter a week and not have to rush through to meet a deadline. Do you know what I mean?

Anyways, thanks for reading. Reviews are loved! I see that my stories have been getting many visitors/hits so please review! I don't know how other fanfics get reviews in the hundreds! That's insane!

**A/N 2:** Thank you for _SeekerOfTheDragons_ for pointing out that I forgot to put in a preview for the next chap! It's the least I can do if I won't be able to update for a couple of weeks right? Here you go!

**Chapter 6 Preview:  
><strong>"What Jacob?"

"You think you can come by tomorrow? We're having a bonfire and-"

"Jake! What are you doing?" Quil cried. He moved closer to Jacob. "You need to talk to the Council first." I heard him whisper.

I felt my blood turn cold.

"What did you say?" I asked.

Quil and Jacob both looked at me.

"Can you come?"

"What did you mean by Council?" I asked Quil.I looked at all the other guys who looked away, save for Sam who looked concerned and Paul who stared at me menacingly.

"It's just the Tribal Council," Sam explained.

"I'll explain everything tomorrow. Just please come," Jacob pleaded.**  
><strong>


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

It was finally the weekend again! It was another beautiful day in always gloomy Forks, Washington. It was also Friday and I was lying down on a beach towel, soaking in the rays on First Beach. My friends spent all week trying to convince me to join them. After declining them time and time again, they became desperate and ended up kidnapping me. Jennifer and Aimee acted as decoys while Tyler and Derek barged into my room and practically carried me into Matt's car. Sandra gathered up things that I'd need for the beach while the other two girls explained what they were doing to Aunt Cor. My aunt had no qualms about my friends' antics. In fact, she was delighted I was going anywhere near La Push or First Beach.

I couldn't blame her. Ever since my incident with Paul, I avoided any contact with the La Push gang. I ignored Jacob's phone calls and never called him back despite my aunt's bargaining. Everything that happened last Sunday only strengthened my suspicions on the La Push guys…and Leah. And _if_ my suspicions were true and they were werewolves, I wanted no part in it. Werewolves were what brought me here in the first place and as far as I was concerned, they were the reason that my brother disappeared.

"What do you think Jade?" I heard Jennifer ask.

"Huh?" was my immediate response.

Sandra rolled her eyes. "We were saying that we should all road trip down to California this summer! Aimee's going there for summer vacay and we should meet up with her!"

"Yeah, my uncle's beach house is big enough to house all of us," Aimee told me.

I pretended to think it over. "Yeah, that sounds fun." It did. At least if my parents didn't let me move back to the Gates, I'd have an escape plan for the summer. Now if only I could learn to avoid the La Push gang just for a few more months… Maybe they'll eventually get the hint and Jacob would stop calling or trying to come around.

"Ooh, who are _they?_" Sandra asked. I looked over to where she was looking at. _Speak of the devils_. Jacob and his friends inhabited the far left end of the beach. I wonder how long they'd been there. I hadn't noticed them there earlier. Then again, I wasn't exactly looking for them. I looked away, hoping they didn't catch me staring.

"I don't know, but I sure would love to find out," Aimee said, joining Sandra in ogling them.

"They look like a bunch of punks," Matt cried, from his place on the cooler.

"They're from the rez," Derek told him.

"They're freakin' huge!"

"And hot!" the girls giggled.

"Do they eat steroids for breakfast?" Matt asked. I remained quiet but amused at my friends' comments.

"Maybe we should come here more often," Jennifer suggested. The guys groaned.

"You think they're college guys?" Sandra asked excitedly.

"Probably. They sure as hell don't look like any of the guys at our high school." I let out a laugh. "What?"

"They're in high school," I said simply.

"How do you know?" Matt asked.

"You know them!" Aimee practically screamed. I glanced at the their direction, hoping Aimee's outburst didn't catch their attention. It didn't. They were all still busy playing catch with the football. Finally, I nodded.

"What are you doing hanging with them? They look like they're part of a gang or something."

"Someone's jealous," Jennifer teased. "You think you can introduce us?"

I laughed. "I could, but I'm not really close with them."

"Wait, are those the guys you always hang out with whenever we ask you to hang out with us?" Derek asked. I slowly nodded.

"So which one's Jacob? Isn't he the one who's interested in you?" Sandra asked.

"He is not interested in me. He was just being nice since I was the new girl in town. Plus, my aunt is close with their parents."

"Is he the one with the grey sleeveless hoodie?"

"No, that's Seth and he's only fifteen."

"What? He looks like he's twenty!"

"Is Jacob the one with the football right now?"

"That's Jared. He's taken."

"Is he the one-" Matt groaned at Sandra's constant stream of guesses.

"Alright, enough of this! Which one of you girls wants to take a dip in the water?"

"Not me!"

"Don't even think about it!"

"Why the hell would you go to the beach and not go in the water?" Matt cried.

"It's too cold!" Jennifer told him.

"Jade?" He turned to me and gave me his smile.

"No thanks," I said, shaking my head. "Come on," Matt pulled me up.

"Matt!" I pushed him away and began to take a seat again.

"Why are you wearing that sweater on the beach?"

"It's cold!" I lied.

"You'll warm up!" Matt tugged at my sweater.

"Stop it!" He reached for the zipper and began to zip it down.

"Look out!"

I saw the football spiraling in our direction and I ducked. Matt, on the other hand, was too slow and was hit square on the back of his head. He whipped his head around. I groaned and rolled my eyes Jacob was jogging towards us, the La Push gang trailing close by. Matt glared at him.

"Uh, sorry about that," he said with a smug smile. "Oh, hey Jade. Didn't see you there." He casually threw in his greeting.

"Hi," I muttered back. A part of me was happy to see Jacob which surprised me, but another part told me to distance myself.

"Are you Jacob?" Sandra cried.

Jacob nodded. "How'd you know?"

"You did that shit on purpose!" Matt cried, interrupting them.

"No, purely accidental! You mind if I get the football back?" Jacob asked.

"You want this?" Matt asked picking up the ball. He threw the football straight into the ocean. "Go get it yourself."

"I got it!" Paul cried.

"You got your football back, now leave!"

"Jade," Jacob said, ignoring Matt completely. "I heard you were leaving?" I stared at him in surprise. How did he know that? "Your aunt told me," he offered. I rolled my eyes. Of course, Aunt Corinne was always Team Jacob from the start.

"You're leaving?" Matt asked, forgetting about Jacob and the others and turning to me.

"No. Well, it was just a thought," I explained to my friends. "My parents are still considering it."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Matt took my hand into his. I saw Jacob take a step towards us and it made me pull my hand out of Matt's. A ghost of a smile appeared on Jacob's face.

"I, uh, I don't know. Like I said, my parents are still considering it."

"Matt, back off," Jennifer said, coming to my defense. "You're obviously making Jade uncomfortable and she doesn't want to talk about it, so drop it."

"Whatever," Matt muttered. He turned back to Jacob and his friends. "What are you still doing here? I said leave or do I have to make you!"

"You're an idiot," Jennifer said under her breath. A few of the guys snickered. I looked at them curiously. There was no way they could've heard what Jennifer said. Then again, _if_ they were werewolves, they'd have super human hearing. That thought triggered a memory. On the ride back from Emily's for Jacob's birthday dinner, he mentioned having super human hearing when he heard me and Rachel talk about my ex-boyfriend.

"Jade, are you alright?" Jacob asked, walking towards me, but Matt blocked his way. I pulled Matt away.

"Matt, stop. Let's just leave."

"We were here first! If anything, they should leave!"

"Incoming!" Paul's voice shouted. This time the warning was too late. The football seemed to be heading my direction. Jacob pulled me down and I landed on top of him, his arms around my waist. The football hit the center of the grill. The coals inside spilled out, one of them landing on my sweater.

"Shit!" I cried scrambling to take my sweater off.

"Paul!" Jacob and the others bellowed.

"Sorry! Are you alright Jade?" he asked with a smirk. I glared at him as I picked up my jacket to make sure it wasn't damaged.

"You did that on purpose, you asshole," I cried. Jacob suddenly grabbed my arm.

"Where'd you get this?" he asked. His voice held a tone of anger. I looked down and realized that my arm was exposed and three long scars were clearly seen on my forearm. Jacob was rubbing his thumb over them. I shrugged him off.

"I got attacked by a dog," I told him. The others looked at one another. Paul swatted at Jacob and gave him a look.

"Come on guys, let's just go," Tyler said. Everyone started picking up their things. After gathering mine up, Matt put his arm around my shoulders and began leading me away.

"Let's just barbeque at my house," he told the others.

"Jade," Jacob called. I ignored him. I felt him grab my arm again, this time more gently.

"Hey, what's your problem?" Matt asked, pushing Jacob's hand away.

"You're really starting to make me mad," Jacob told him.

"Then do something about it," Matt challenged. He really was an idiot. Jacob towered a foot over him easily and his muscles were more prominent than Matt's.

"Jacob, calm down!" Sam called out. I looked at the other guys. Rather than looking ready for a fight, they were watching Jacob carefully. It was as if they were preparing to fight Jacob rather than Matt.

"It's fine, Matt," I finally intervened. "Just go ahead, I'll be there in a second." I waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. "What Jacob?"

"You think you can come by tomorrow? We're having a bonfire and-"

"Jake! What are you doing?" Quil cried. He moved closer to Jacob. "You need to talk to the Council first." I heard him whisper.

I felt my blood turn cold.

"What did you say?" I asked. Quil and Jacob both looked at me.

"Can you come?"

"What did you mean by Council?" I asked Quil. I looked at all the other guys who looked away, save for Sam who looked concerned and Paul who stared at me menacingly.

"I'll explain everything tomorrow. Just please come," Jacob pleaded. I deliberated his request. The word _Council_ was just another reason that confirmed my suspicions. Brett mentioned their pack having a Council. Apparently, there were the top dogs who made decisions about their pack as a whole. They were the ones that the alpha wolf answered to.

"Jade! Hurry up!" I looked back at my friends who were waiting and watching.

"Okay fine." I said quickly. Jacob broke out into a big smile.

"Great, I'll pick you up," he said, sounding relieved.

"I can-"

"No, I'll pick you up," Jacob insisted. I rolled my eyes.

"Fine. I'll see you then."

* * *

><p><strong>AN:<strong> A short chapter, but I wanted to give you all something to read!

_**Chapter 7 Preview  
><strong>_

_"What did you think of our legends?" Billy asked me._

_"Uh, it was…interesting," I replied slowly._

_"Scared?" Paul asked. I gave him a good look. I was in on his game and he didn't know it. I could have some fun with this. I gave him a smile._

_"No, of course not. What's there to be scared of?"_

_"Plenty," he said. That earned a smack on the head from his girlfriend._

_"Shut up, Paul! Stop trying to scare her!" I laughed and shook my head._

_"It's alright Rach. I'm not scared. Like, I said, what's there to be scared of. It's just a legend right?"_


	8. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

The drive to First Beach was quiet. I sat with my body turned away from Jacob and my arms crossed over my chest. Once we got to the beach, I jumped out of the car. Jacob waited and placed his hand on my back, guiding me to the small group sitting in front of the fire. Kim, Rachel, and Emily all greeted me with hugs while the guys only gave me nods. Seth seemed to be the only one happy to see me with the way he cheerfully waved, but then again, that was Seth. Always cheerful.

Jacob led me to a log and we both took a seat. It was then that I noticed that everyone had been watching us, or rather, me. I gave a small smile.

"Shall we begin?" Billy asked. Jacob nodded. I gave my attention to the three adults who were seated at the head of the circle. There was Billy Black, Jacob's dad, Sue Clearwater, Leah and Seth's mother, and Old Quil, who was Quil's grandfather. I assumed that they were the Council. Soon, I tuned out to what Jacob's dad was saying and my eyes wandered onto the fire. I let its flames hypnotize me into my own world.

"Are you even listening?" Jacob whispered in my ear. I sat up straight and nodded. He chuckled. I turned my attention back to Billy Black, but realized he stopped talking. Instead, Old Quil was now the center of attention and began talking about the Quileute legends of the Spirit Warriors.

I was confused. Jacob begged me to come to this bon fire so he could explain everything. I didn't really know what everything was, I but did it really have to do with some old Quileute legend? I looked around the bon fire. Everyone was giving their undivided attention to Old Quil, so I did the same. Unfortunately, my attention wavered after five minutes. I was beginning to regret accepting Jacob's invitation. I turned back to the fire's flames, ready to be hypnotized again when something that Old Quil said caught my attention.

I leaned forward. Did I hear him correctly? A wolf? I listened as Old Quil recounted the way Taha Aki took over the wolf's body. The hairs on my neck stood and I involuntarily shuddered. Jacob must have mistook that for me being cold since he slowly draped his arm around my shoulder and moved in closer. I didn't object. I was too distracted to. I went back to giving Old Quil my full attention and took in every detail about the Quileute's Spirit Warriors.

It was something to be passed down from generation to generation. I looked at the Council before me. Old Quil, Billy Black, and Sue Clearwater. Quil's dad, Jacob's dad, and Leah and Seth's mom. I looked at the rest of the group. Did that mean they had some of it too? Or was it just those four whose parents and grandparent were on the Council? I mentally shook my head. Just because they made up the supposed Council, it didn't mean that they had the wolf gene, right? The more I learned of the legends, the more confused I became and the more questions I had. But who to ask? Should I even ask? The last time I went snooping around for answers, I was the one who got hurt, literally.

I looked at Jacob. He invited me here. He said he would explain everything. Did that mean he wanted me to know this? Why didn't he just tell me? A small thought crept into my mind. Maybe he tried. Maybe he was waiting to see if I was to be trusted with this secret. Of course, this is all assuming that the legends were real and that my assumptions were correct.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked.

"Nothing." I turned back to Old Quil just as he mentioned the cold ones. A chill run up my spine once I realized what the cold ones really were. _Vampires_. I listened as he spoke of the treaty formed by the shape shifters and the cold ones. Two enemies who aimed to coexist in peace through a treaty. It sounded all too familiar. Shapeshifters, werewolves, cold ones and vampires. They were all the same. It was like the Gates all over again. I knew that, right at that moment, I was in the presence of possibly generations of werewolves. I stole a glance around the circle. Everyone was still fixated on Old Quil, except for Paul. He was staring at me, as if he was trying to study me. I looked away and pretended to take interest in what Old Quil was saying now. Something about the third wife of Taha Aki. I couldn't focus really. My mind was overrun with thoughts about my current situation and Paul looking at me wasn't helping. An idea dawned on me: Paul was watching for my reaction. His words from last weekend's confrontation rang clear in my head. He knew that I knew something. Was he the only one to realize this? Probably or else the other guys would've said something too. Leah sure did.

The sound of clapping brought me out of my thoughts. I clapped along.

"Who's up for some catch?" Brady asked, quickly standing up. Collin, Seth, and Embry followed. The couples all seemed to prefer to stay near the fire. I wonder if they knew. The sight of Emily's scars confirmed my thought. I felt a nudge.

"What?" I turned to Jacob. He smiled, shaking his head.

"Always spacing out huh?"

"Sorry," I said.

"What did you think of our legends?" Billy asked me.

"Uh, it was…interesting," I replied slowly.

"Scared?" Paul asked. I gave him a good look. I was in on his game and he didn't know it. I could have some fun with this. I gave him a smile.

"No, of course not. What's there to be scared of?"

"Plenty," he said. That earned a smack on the head from his girlfriend.

"Shut up, Paul! Stop trying to scare her!" I laughed and shook my head.

"It's alright Rach. I'm not scared. Like, I said, what's there to be scared of. It's just a legend right?"

I engaged in a stare down with Paul, waiting to see what he would try to pull next. His breathing increased and he began to huff and puff.

"Paul," Sam said in a warning voice. He did that a lot.

"Why don't we talk a walk?" Jacob suggested. He didn't wait for an answer. He pulled me up to my feet and led me towards the shore.

"Better tell her, Jake," I heard Paul say. We walked in silence for a few minutes. We were nearing the end of the beach when Jacob finally spoke.

"So, what did you really think of the legends? Do you believe in it?" He asked me.

I shrugged my response.

"That's not really an answer."

"Well, it's a hard question to answer," I said honestly. He stopped walking but I continued on.

"Most people would straight up say no."

"What's that supposed to mean?" I turned to face him. He looked off into the distance. I saw his jaw clench and unclench.

"Jacob. If you have something to say then say it, otherwise stop wasting my time!"

"I could say the same to you," he yelled back. I flinched at his tone. I shook my head and tried to push past him but reached for me.

"Jade," he said softly this time. His soft voice did something to me. It warmed me up and broke down my tough girl façade that I tried to pull. I stopped and looked at him. "I'm sorry."

I nodded my acceptance. We stood in silence again.

"What did you want to talk about?" I finally asked. He stared into my eyes before turning around again. I sighed. "Jacob. This is getting-"

He finally turned back around.

"Jade, I'm a shapeshifter."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong> I have a few chapters all ready and typed up! I'm hoping to be able to update every couple of days or so! I want to space out my updates so that you readers won't have to wait weeks for a new one. I hope you enjoyed! No preview for Chapter 8! I don't want to give away what happens next.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

I stared at Jacob, letting the words that he just said echo in my head. _I'm a shapeshifter_. A part of me wasn't surprised. After all, I had my suspicions. The thing that did surprise was Jacob's direct confession. He didn't beat around the bush, he didn't skirt around the issue, and he didn't have me play the guessing game. He just straight up confessed and told me the truth.

"Jade, say something please," I heard Jacob plead. What do I say to someone who just revealed their biggest secret?

"Show me."

"What?" He blinked in surprise.

"If you're really a werewolf-"

"Shapeshifter," he corrected.

"Then show me."

He took my hand and looked over to where the others were at the bonfire. He led me towards the forest. I was about to crack a joke about finally being able to be in the forbidden forest, at night no less, but I decided against it.

"Wait here," he said. He disappeared behind a tree. I waited nervously, not sure if this was a wise decision on my part. I rubbed at my left forearm that held three scars. I heard heavy footsteps coming. I waited for Jacob to appear, but instead a huge wolf came out from behind the trees. I gasped and took a step back. The russet colored wolf in front of me stopped in its tracks and gave a small whimper.

"I-I'm sorry," I told him. "This was not the type of wolf I was expecting."

He sat down on his haunches as if waiting for me to make my move. I remained in my position, still not sure if this was a good idea. I took in Jacob's wolf side. His fur was a nice dark brown color. I looked at his wolf eyes and was surprised to see them look so…human. It was like that was the only thing that remained from human Jacob; his nice deep, dark brown eyes. Seeing this helped ease my fears. I stepped towards him and slowly held out my hand. He closed the distance between us and I felt his warm soft fur. He nuzzled his head against mine and any trace of fear I had was completely gone. He pulled away and I smiled as I rustled his fur one last time. He slowly backed away and disappeared back behind the trees. It was then I realized that he was probably naked. Brett and his pack stripped down whenever they turned in their werewolf counterparts. This thought made me turn around even though Jacob was safely concealed behind the trees.

A few minutes later I heard footsteps approaching. I kept my back turned just in case. The familiar feeling of Jacob's hand on the small of my back made me smile. I turned around to face him.

"Are you freaked out yet?" The question repeated in my head.

"No," I answered honestly. I wasn't freaked out. I already knew about werewolves and shape shifters were about the same. Jacob seemed doubtful. For some reason, I felt the need to reassure him. "I mean, I was. But not anymore. What you are doesn't change who you are."

He smiled and I returned it.

"We should head back," he told me. I nodded, but he stopped me. "Before we go, I need to give you a heads up. The others are going to have questions for you."

"Are they…shapeshifters too?"

"Yeah, Sam, Jared, Paul, Embry, Quil, Collin, Brady, Seth, and Leah."

"Makes sense now," I nodded. I took a deep breath and let it out. "Let's get this over with."

The walk back to the bon fire was a lot more fun and light. Jacob seemed beyond happy and relieve to finally have his secret out while I suddenly felt…safe and not afraid.

"I'm guessing everything went well?" Billy called out once he saw us approaching.

"Yeah, it did," Jacob answered, glancing at me.

"Now, Jade," Billy turned towards me, his voice suddenly serious, "I hope that our tribe's secret is safe with you."

I nodded. "It is. I promise."

"You know, you are very calm about this," Billy noted. Everyone's eyes were trained on me now.

"Well, let's just say this isn't my first time meeting someone who was…different."

"So I was right," Paul said, smirking. "Payday!" Embry, Collin, and Brady all grumbled. They dug into their pockets and each handed Paul money.

I looked at Jacob questioningly, but it was Jared who answered me.

"Paul made a bet that you knew about werewolves already." I nodded.

"Well, I had my suspicions."

"Why didn't you call us out on it?" Seth asked.

"I learned the hard way not to call anyone out on their secrets, especially if they were werewolves."

"Shapeshifters," everyone corrected me. I laughed.

"Is that how you got your scars?"

"Seth," Jacob said in a warning tone similar to Sam's.

"Yeah."

"A werewolf attacked you?" Sue asked shocked.

"Why? How?" Seth followed up. I bit my lip not knowing what to say.

"You don't have to share," Jacob reassured me, placing his hand on my back.

I shook my head. "It's nothing tragic. Actually I'm sure you all will find it funny." They looked at me like I was crazy. "It was all because I went into the forest." I laughed and soon they were all joining me. "Apparently I chose the part of the forest where they liked to run around at." Of course that was the nice version of it. In reality, I went into the forest looking for Conor. It was about the time he started hanging around with Lukas and I wasn't fond of that.

"It's getting late," Billy said. "We should start heading home. Jacob, you still need to drop Jade off."

He nodded. I said my goodbyes and followed Jacob to his car. I waited until we were off the res to begin questioning him.

"So," I began.

"So," Jacob mimicked, smiling at me. He really was in a good mood now.

"Can you tell me more about this whole…shape shifter thing?"

"What do you want to know?"

I shrugged. "Everything?"

He smiled. "Alright, let's see. You already know that our temperature is a little higher than normal people's. We're strong. We heal fast."

"Impressive. Must be kick ass to be a shape shifter."

"It has its drawbacks."

"Like what?"

"Well, when we're phased in our wolf form, we're practically an open book to one another. Every thought we have is out there for everyone else to see."

"Yeah, that is one big drawback," I told. "I'd hate for that to happen to me."

"It can be avoided, but you'd have to really concentrate on not thinking about it."

"Poor Leah," I said quietly. "It must suck for her having all the guys know what's on her mind."

Jacob nodded. "Especially with the whole Leah, Sam, Emily love triangle. We saw things about her and Sam's relationship we never wanted to know about. Plus Sam constantly apologizing and trying not to think about Emily while Leah was around."

"So, is it just you guys'? None of the adults are shape shifters?" Jacob shook his head.

"Just us teens. Why? Are the werewolves you know adults?" I only smiled, not wanting to mention anything about the werewolves back home.

"There are two packs?" I asked, changing the subject. Back home, I had only known there to be one pack of teen wolves and one pack of adult wolves.

"I kind of broke away from Sam's pack. We didn't see eye to eye on something and I was able to break away. Then Seth followed, then Leah followed. Then Embry and Quil."

"It must've been something big for you to break away and start your own pack."

"It was," he said slowly. "But it's not so important now." I looked at him and caught his eyes. A smile spread across his face. I felt my cheeks get hot and I looked away.

"So," I began again. "Cold ones. Another name for…vampires? Your natural born enemy?"

Jacob nodded. The smile disappeared and his eyes went hard.

"You protect La Push from them?"

"It's what we were born to do."

"What do you do when you come across a vampire?"

Jacob gripped the steering wheel tightly and he squirmed in his seat.

"Do you kill them?" I asked in a quiet voice. For a good minute he didn't respond. Then slowly he nodded his head. Shock registered on my face. "Oh."

I thought about the Radcliffs. They were our neighbors back at the Gates. I babysat their little girl Emily after school. It wasn't until the whole brouhaha over the werewolves did we find out that the Radcliffs were vampires, except for Emily. When my dad found out, he forbade me to have anything to do with them, but to me they were still the same loving family. I thought about how Brett always warned me about them. Yet, whenever he was face to face with Claire or Dylan Radcliff, he was still cordial. This was another difference between Brett's pack and Jacob's. From Jacob's reaction I could tell that he really did hate vampires.

"You look scared," Jacob said in a quiet voice.

"No, it's just…" I shrugged.

"They suck the blood out of innocent people and end up killing them or worse, turning them into blood suckers. Killing them is the only way to protect our people," Jacob told me, his voice hard and cold.

"I understand that," I told him, but I sounded unconvinced. "But, aren't there…nice vampires?"

Jacob laughed a dark laugh. "Yeah, I suppose. But that doesn't stop me from not liking them."

"Well, how about the treaty that Old Quil mentioned?"

"Doesn't mean I have to be buddy buddy with them either."

The car pulled to a stop in front of my house. As usual, Jacob dashed out so he could open my door for me. We walked in silence towards the door. I counted the steps until we'd reach the front door and then I'd have to go inside. I still had so much more to ask, but having Aunt Corinne's eavesdropping ears wouldn't be good for Jacob's secret. I decided that all my other questions could wait, except for one. I stopped walking. It took Jacob a second to realize I was no longer walking beside him. He stopped and turned to face me.

"Why'd you tell me?"

"What?" he asked, stepping back towards me.

"Your secret. Why did you tell me?" I looked at his face as he thought over his answer. He frowned as if not knowing what to say. Finally he looked me in the eye.

"Because I didn't want to hide anything from you," he told me. "I wanted you trust me and I wanted you to know who I really am. What I really am. I wanted you to know me one hundred percent."

I smiled at his answer. I felt a fluttering sensation in my stomach.

"Uh, well," I said, feeling dizzy with happiness. "Thank you."

Jacob smiled and nodded. We walked the rest of the way. I gave him a hug which he gladly returned.

"Good night."

"Night, Jade."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I finished one chapter so I decided to put this one up. It's short again, but I hope you still enjoyed it!

**_Preview..._**

_"What are you doing?"_

_"Uh, what do you mean?"_

_"What's all this…friendliness about?" she asked waving her hand in the air._

_I shrugged. "I just thought that since-"_

_Leah's cold laugh cut me off. "Let me guess, you think that since you finally know our little secret that you and I can be BFFs? Well, let me let you in on something, Jade. I don't need a friend. I don't need anyone!"_

_"You don't mean that," I started. "That's how I felt when I first moved here, but then Jacob-"_

_Another laugh._

_"Yes, Jacob. The only reason he became friends with you is because-" she stopped, her eyes staring at something behind me. I turned around and saw the guys in their usual spots. Jacob spotted me and gave a wave, making his way over._


	10. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Thank you so, so much for everyone who put this fanfic on story alert, for favorite-ing it, a for reviewing! I have been neglecting answering a few of your questions, so I'll make it a point to take some time in answering them!

GymnastQueen:

Thank you for your review! I enjoy hearing your opinion on my story. =) The idea of this fanfic all started when I wondered how it would be like if a person encountered shapeshifters after encountering plain ol' werewolves. And yes, eventually you will hear more about Conor's disappearance. As for a meeting between the Jacob's pack and the Gates' pack...you will see. ;)**  
><strong>

**SeekerOfTheDragons: **I hope your friend enjoys this fanfic, too! =)**  
><strong>

**ArynTayWolfGirl:** Stay tuned for the next few chapters. =)**  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter Nine<strong>

The following day I felt like a new person. No longer was I plagued by my suspicions of the La Push gang. I wasn't scared either. All the guys were really nice guys, even Paul, when he wanted to be. After seeing Jacob in his wolf form, I felt safe. The only thing that unnerved me was the whole killing of vampires ordeal. I guess it was one thing I was grateful that Brett's pack never did. Then again, Jacob's pack never attacked an innocent for no reason…

It was nearing noon and I already had my plans mapped out for the day. Grateful for another sunny day, I slipped on some shorts and a tank top. I grabbed a sweater just in case and made my way downstairs.

"How was the bon fire?" Aunt Cor called from the kitchen.

"Great! I'm going to the beach!"

"Are you seeing Jacob?"

"Not exactly," I shouted back as I put my sandals on. "I'm going to see if Leah wants to hang out."

Silence.

"Oh," Aunt Cor replied surprised. "Well, have fun!"

Yes, I was going to spend time with Leah Clearwater. Honestly, after everything I've heard about the Leah-Sam-Emily triangle and her having to be part of a pack of guys, I felt bad for her. Sure she was always scowling and being unpleasant, but I guess I would too if I had to hang around my ex-boyfriend and his new fiancé who happened to be my cousin and on top of that, constantly have to put up with the La Push guys.

I yelled a quick bye and headed to my car. During my drive I thought of different ways to get Leah to hang out. Each scenario didn't end well. After all, I had to consider the fact that she was capable of shifting into a big werewolf that would possibly kill me right on the spot.

Once I pulled up in front of the Clearwater's house, I decided to just wing it. I approached the front door and knocked. Sue opened the door.

"Jade! Hi! Are you here for Seth? He's already down at the beach with the rest of the guys."

"Actually, I'm here to see Leah." Sue stared at me blankly. It took a few seconds for her to register what I said.

"Leah? Oh, well, come on in. She's in her room. I'll get her."

I waited in the living room. I stood up when I heard footsteps descending the stairs.

"What are you doing here?" Leah asked. _Nice to see you too_. I gave her a smile.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out. I was on my way to the beach." She continued to stare at me questioningly.

"She'd love to!" Sue finally answered for her. Leah rolled her eyes and Sue nudged her forward.

"Fine, whatever."

I smiled at Sue as I followed Leah out of the house. She climbed into my car the second I unlocked it. The drive to the beach was awkwardly silent. Luckily it only took me less than ten minutes to get there.

"So, where do you want to lay out at?" I asked, taking my beach bag out. "I think my beach towel is big enough for the two of us."

"What are you doing?"

"Uh, what do you mean?"

"What's all this…friendliness about?" she asked waving her hand in the air.

I shrugged. "I just thought that since-"

Leah's cold laugh cut me off. "Let me guess, you think that since you finally know our little secret that you and I can be BFFs? Well, let me let you in on something, Jade. I don't need a friend. I don't need anyone!"

"You don't mean that," I started. "That's how I felt when I first moved here, but then Jacob-"

Another laugh.

"Yes, Jacob. The only reason he became friends with you is because-" she stopped, her eyes staring at something behind me. I turned around and saw the guys in their usual spots. Jacob spotted me and gave a wave, making his way over.

"Why-" I stopped when I realized that Leah was gone. I caught a flash of her purple shirt disappear into the woods.

"Hey, Jade," Jacob greeted.

"Hi," I replied. He took my bag for me and we began to walk over to where everyone was.

"Did I really just see you drive up with Leah?" he asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I was hoping that she and I could be friends."

"Don't worry about her too much," he told me. The others greeted me. Jacob unfolded my towel and set it down on the ground. I took my place on it and patted beside me. Jacob smiled and sat down next to me.

"Don't you guys ever think about being in Leah's position? I'm pretty sure she could use some girl friends."

Jacob shrugged. "It's hard to be understanding about someone who's so bitter about a lot of things. We just got fed up with it and just learned to deal with her."

I stared out at the ocean, moving my feet from side to side.

"Why don't you guys just hook her up with a new guy? Help her to forget about Sam?" I said after some thought.

"It's…complicated," Jacob said.

"Of course it is," I exclaimed dramatically. I pulled my knees up to my chest. "You guys are werewo-, uh, shape shifters. Everything will always be complicated." Jacob didn't say anything. "So, how exactly is it complicated to have her meet someone new?"

"Do you believe in love at first sight?" He finally asked.

I shrugged. "Sure. If shape shifters and cold ones exist, why can't love at first sight?"

Jacob smirked. "Alright, well, shape shifters have something like that. But we call it imprinting." I slowly nodded my head. "It's basically love at first sight, but stronger. It helps us find our soul mate. Once one of us imprints on someone, they become the only one for us. We become connected to them and vice versa. Anything and everything we do is for them, to make sure they're safe and protected, and happy."

"Wow, that sounds...something out of a fairytale." I glanced at Jacob. He was staring at me like he was waiting for me to say something. My brows furrowed in confusion. "And...so…what does that have to do with Leah exactly?"

Jacob looked at me with surprise then amusement in his eyes. He gave a small chuckle. "That went over your head."

"What?" I asked, not really understand what he meant. He only shook his head.

"Well, you already know that Leah and Sam were together." I nodded. "After Sam phased for the first time, he freaked and left. He was gone for about two weeks. When he finally came back, he went to see Leah and Emily happened to be there…" He dragged the last part out, leaving me to connect the dots.

"Oh… So you're saying that Sam imprinted on Emily?" Jacob nodded.

"Huh," I said. "That does sound…complicated. And a little messed up," I added. This only made me feel more sympathy for Leah.

"Hey Jake!" Jared called, approaching us. "We're heading up to the cliffs, you coming?"

"Nah, I think I'll just stay here with Jade."

"Oh, okay," Jared replied winking and then wriggling his eyebrows.

"Get out of here," Jacob cried, throwing sand at Jared. He retaliated by sticking out his tongue before jogging off.

"Cliffs?" I questioned.

"It's just our place where we go to cliff dive."

"Cliff dive? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Yeah, but not for werewolves."

"Shape shifters," I corrected. He rolled his eyes. "Well, you should go then."

"No, I don't want to leave you." My tummy turned with butterflies and I felt my cheeks start to get warm. I smiled and looked away. "Uh, I meant, I don't want to leave you here all alone…by yourself…without anyone to keep you company..." he stammered.

"It's fine. I should probably get going anyway. I have homework to do." Jacob stood up and pulled me up. My body was against his and we stayed like that for a few seconds. My heart hammered against my chest and I was the first to pull away. I picked up my towel and began to fold it. Jacob took it from me and stuffed it in my bag. We made our way towards my car, Jacob's hand rested on the small of my back. It was a familiar feeling having his hand there.

I unlocked my car and I watched as he put my bag in the trunk. He opened the driver side door for me.

"So, are you still thinking about moving back?" Jacob asked sounding a little sad. I was taken aback.

"Honestly, I forgot all about that," I admitted sheepishly. "I'm gonna have to call my parents and tell them that I changed my mind."

This made Jacob smile from ear to ear. His smile quickly disappeared and was replaced by a frown.

"Why did you want to move back in the first place?" I bit my lip. "Because of me?"

"No, not really." His brows furrowed deeper. "I was scared when I began to suspect you guys."

He nodded. "You know that you have nothing to be scared of, right? Our job is to _protect_ people but not hurt them."

"Unless I was a vampire," I blurted without thinking.

"Yeah, good thing you're not," he joked. "Or else…"

I gave a small smile. The joke didn't really seem funny to me. Jacob cleared his throat.

"We would never hurt you," he said this time seriously.

It was my turn to nod my head. "I know which is why I changed my mind about leaving."

Jacob still looked troubled. I could tell he had more to say. But the troubled look was soon replaced with another smile.

"Well, I'm glad that I was able to change your mind."

"Me too," I replied with a smile. I gave him a hug before getting in my car and driving off.


	11. Chapter 10

**A/N: **I finished another chapter so you readers are treated to another update! Enjoy! =)

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><p><strong>CHAPTER TEN<strong>

It was Wednesday night and I was late for dinner at Emily's. Jennifer, Aimee, Sandra, and I left school after lunch so we could head over to Seattle to do a little shopping. It was a three hour drive one way and we only spent a little under two hours at the mall. Once Jennifer dropped me off, I jumped in my car and sped to La Push. On my way, I saw a police cruiser hidden on the side of the road. It flashed it lights and I could've sworn I heard Chief Swan's voice on the bullhorn telling me to slow down.

When I pulled up to the front of Emily's house, I saw a figure leaning against the front door. I smiled when the figure straightened up and began walked towards me.

"Hi," I greeted Jacob. He responded by pulling me into a big hug.

"You're late," he said. "I was worried."

"Sorry," I said as he pulled away. "It was traffic coming back from Seattle."

"You went to Seattle?"

I nodded my head.

"That's three hours away," he said more to himself. He looked as though he was thinking over something in his head. His face scrunched up and he frowned. "Wait, did you skip school for this?"

"Half of school," I simply said.

"Does Corinne know?"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"No and she doesn't have to know," I told him. I quickly passed him and headed inside.

The second I walked into the door, a wave of hello's and hi's echoed around the room. Everyone was cramped in the living room. Every seat and bit of floor place was taken.

"You need a bigger house, Emily," Jared joked. Everyone laughed.

"Maybe when Sam and her get married they can get a bigger one," Kim added. Leah scowled at her.

"Jade, I saved some food for you," Emily said, her face a shade of pink. She linked onto my arm and led me to the kitchen.

"What's wrong with you Jake?" I heard Paul ask. I didn't hear a reply. I heard his footsteps follow behind me and Emily.

I took a seat at the table while Emily heated up a plate of food. Instead of sitting beside me, Jacob sat at the seat in front of me. I looked everywhere but at him. From the corner of my eye I saw that he was frowning at me.

"How was your trip to Seattle?" Emily asked me. I bit my lip as Jacob frowned even more.

"You knew she was going to Seattle?" Jacob cried, turning to Emily. This took her by surprise. She looked from Jacob to me and back to Jacob again. Then she smiled and patted his back. I found the exchange to be a little strange.

"Did you have fun?" Emily asked, sitting beside Jacob.

"Yeah. It was tiring. We spent more time on the road than in the mall."

"Were you able to find something to wear this Friday?"

"What's going on this Friday?" Jacob asked. "Or is this something not worth mentioning to me?"

"Ease up, Jacob!" I heard Sam say as he walked into the kitchen. Jacob grumbled and Sam looked amused. I had no idea why he was acting this way.

"My school's holding a dance thing this Friday."

The sound of running footsteps was heard and Brady and Collin ran into the kitchen.

"Are you talking about that one thing being held on First Beach?" Brady asked excitedly.

"Yeah, you've heard about it?" I asked.

"Yeah! A bunch of people at school heard!" Collin replied.

"They're thinking of crashing it-"

"No one is going to be near First Beach this Friday," Sam boomed, looking mainly at Collin and Brady, but a few groans were heard in the living room.

"So, Jade, who're you going with?" Paul asked suddenly appearing behind Collin and Brady. His eyes were on Jacob. I saw Jacob send him a glare.

"Uh, I'm just going with my friends," I answered, remembering about my food and digging in.

"No date?" Paul asked, smiling at Jacob.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be, Paul?" Jacob said, annoyed.

"No, Rachel went out with her friends," he said sounding sad. I actually felt bad for him. Of course that ended when he turned his attention back to me, his usual smirk on his face. "Who's your date?"

"I'm going stag," I said lamely.

"No one asked you?" Sam asked.

"Sam, the girls are supposed to ask the guys for Sadies," Emily explained.

"Didn't think of anyone good to ask?" Paul kept up the questioning.

I shrugged. "No one really worth asking."

"I can go with you!" Brady said.

"No!" Collin replied, shoving Brady. "Take me!"

"Both of you, stop!" The two best friends immediately stopped and then retreated back to the living, grumbling about missing out on all the fun. Paul grew tired of annoying Jacob and joined them soon after. Since there was barely any room left in the living, Jacob and I stayed in the kitchen with Sam and Emily. I helped Emily wash the dishes while Sam and Jacob discussed werewolf business. When I finished putting the dishes away, I decided that I'd rather hang out with the rest of the gangs than stay in the kitchen and listen to the alphas discuss things concerning vampires. I was still uncomfortable with the thought of them killing vampires. Sure they were deadly and dangerous, but the kind hearted vampire family that I fell in love with always flashed in my mind. The thought of them getting killed upset me greatly.

Collin and Brady lit up when they saw me. They argued about who I should sit beside.

"Knock it off!" Jared told them. "Sam said no one's going to the bon fire and that's that! Alpha's command!" I smiled from my position at the door way. I felt a warm presence behind me, knowing it was Jacob.

"Is that why you went to Seattle today?" Kim asked. I heard Jacob growl behind. Kim and I shared a smile.

"Yeah, my friends and I got our outfits."

"What are you wearing?" Embry asked. Everyone turned to look at him. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Just asking...I'm pretty sure Jake would want to know."

"Jacob, stop growling!" I cried, bring my arm down and my hand back to slap at his leg. He didn't even flinch, but my hand was stinging. I shook it as the guys all laughed.

"So what are you wearing?" Kim asked.

I shrugged. "Nothing special. I just bought this really nice blouse that I think I'll wear over my bathing suit. Then I'll pair it jeans."

"How does the top look?"

"You know, I actually have a picture of it." I dug my phone out from my jacket pocket. After going through my pictures, I touched on the thumbnail. I tossed my phone in the air towards Kim who was ready to catch it. Paul, reached up and caught it before it got to Kim.

"Paul! No!" I cried, walking towards him. He jumped up and held his arm out to keep me from getting closer.

He took a look at the picture. His eyes widened and he let out a whistle.

"Who are you trying to impress? I thought you didn't have a date," Paul said, looking at the picture again. "Jake you should see this." He began to walk it over to Jacob, but Kim grabbed the phone from Paul.

"Stop it, Paul! I didn't get to see it! Ooh, that is a really nice blouse! Sexy!" She made motion to hand it back to me, but Brady intercepted it. He took a look at it and smiled.

"What's cookin' good lookin'," he said, wriggling his eyebrows as he passed it to Collin, before I could take it. I let out an exasperated sigh.

"Guys," I whined.

"Give me that," Embry said. He took a glance at the picture then flashed Jacob a smile before pretending to pass it to and instead passing it to Seth.

"Here, Jade," Seth said, not even looking at my phone.

"Thank you Seth," I said, grateful that he was a respecting guy.

"I didn't get to see!" Collin said, grabbing my phone. Seth tightened his grip on it.

"Knock it off Collin!"

"Guys! Please, don't break my phone!" I cried. This made Seth instantly let go.

"Give it back, Collin," Jacob finally said, leaving his spot and advancing towards Collin. Collin ran further away and peeked at the photo.

"Is that your bra?" he asked, in surprise. He threw the phone in the air and Quil caught it before it hit the ground. He extended his arm to give me back my phone.

"Thanks," I said, quickly taking it before anyone else decided to steal it again.

"Wait, they let you wear that to school functions?" Quil asked. I rolled my eyes.

"Aww, poor Jakey didn't see Jadey in her lacy pink bra," Paul teased.

"Do you really want me to tell Rachel that you were looking at a picture of Jade in her bra?" Jacob challenged.

That shut Paul up...for a second. "You jealous?"

I notice Jacob's arm start to shake.

"Paul, outside," Jared yelled.

"Aw shit," Paul cried as he jumped out and sprinted out the door with Jacob tailing behind him.

"What-"

"Just let them sort it out," Quil told me. I nodded and eventually took Paul's seat.

Ten minutes later, the front door opened again. Jacob had a small smile on his face while Paul gave me a smirk. I raised my eyebrow at him. I felt Jacob walk to the back of the couch and leaned over.

"It's getting late," Jacob said into my ear. "You should head home now, you have school tomorrow."

"Gee, thanks Dad, I didn't know that," I told him. I heard everyone snicker.

"You already skipped today-"

"The last two classes were just electives."

"Yeah, Jake, those don't matter," Paul told him.

"Yeah, see for once Paul is right," I said. Paul shot me a glare.

"Last time I'll help you," he muttered.

"You're actually agreeing with Paul?" Jacob asked, amused.

"Yes, just this once." Jacob laughed.

"Ditched two classes and you're already sliding down the IQ scale."

Paul growled from his place on the ground. I covered a yawn.

"Alright, I guess I'll go now." Jacob smiled triumphantly. "Only because I am tired and not because you told me to."

"Sure."

"Good night guys and girls," I said waving. "Bye Sam! Bye Emily! Thanks for the food!"

"Your welcome!" Emily shouted back.

"Drive safe, Jade!"

Jacob walked me out to my car like he always did. He opened my car door and waited for me to get in. Instead, I turned around and faced him.

"Is Sam really forbidding you guys from going to First Beach on Friday?"

"Well, it's mostly because of Brady and Collin. Those two are pretty mischievous." I nodded. "Then again, so is Paul, if you hadn't noticed. Sam just doesn't want them messing with anyone or starting trouble. But with my pack, I have nothing to worry about."

"That's right, you and Sam have separate packs," I said.

"Yeah. With mine, Leah doesn't care. Seth is most likely going to see Renesme and Quil with Claire. And Embry…well, maybe he's the only one I'll have to worry about."

I bit my lip. "What about you?" I asked quietly, my eyes trained on a spot on my car's window. I felt my stomach churn in knots. After a few seconds of silence, I looked up and saw that he had a surprised expression on his face. "It's just that I'm going with my friends, but they all have dates and I don't exactly want to be the seventh wheel and I didn't want to ask you in front of everyone because I didn't want them thinking anything and teasing me or anything." I ended my rambling and waited for Jacob to answer.

After what it felt like ages, Jacob finally smiled. "Yeah, I'll go with you." I let out a sigh of relief, but the tightening in my stomach still didn't subside.

"What? Why does Jacob get to go!" I heard Brady yell causing me and Jacob to laugh.

"Okay, great," I said. "Uh, I guess I'll be the one to pick you up?"

"Hey, you're the one who asked me out. I guess it's only fair," Jacob replied, jokingly. I rolled my eyes.

"Does that mean I need to bring you flowers too?"

"Only if you want." Jacob shrugged. I laughed again. Man my cheeks were hurting. I gave Jacob a hug before getting in my car. He closed the door and I buckled my seat belt before turning on the engine. I gave one last wave and drove home.

Half an hour later, a smile was still on my face. I had a date with Jacob. My mind suddenly paused as I wondered if it really did count as a date. My mind retracted even more and questioned why I even cared if it was a date or not. Jacob was just a friend. A good friend.

"Hi." I jumped at Aunt Corinne's greeting. She laughed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I missed you the whole day."

"Yeah, my friends and I went shopping then I went straight to Emily's for dinner."

"Jake was there?"

"I don't even know why you bother to ask," I told her.

"I know. That smile on your face gives it away."

"What do you mean?"

"You only smile like that whenever you're with Jacob. Or whenever you've been with Jacob."

My face suddenly felt hot.

"No I don't!"

"Yes you do! You're getting defensive about it!" Aunt Cor teased. I was about to glare at her, but the ringing phone took her attention away from me.

"Hi, Alex," I heard her say into the receiver. "Sure, she just got home." I walked over and took the phone from her.

"Hi dad!"

"_Hi honey, how was your day?"_

"It was good." Aunt Corinne pranced around me, mouthing Jacob's name while forming a heart with her hands. I stuck my tongue out at her and faced the wall. "How are you and mom?"

"_We're doing good. Listen sweetie, I'm at the station right now and I just needed to ask you a quick question."_

"Okay?"

"_Did Conor know about the, you know…wolves?"_

"Not that I know of. Why? Did you find something?"

"_I don't want you to get too excited, but I've been consulting with, uh, a few people. I guess taking the supernatural route is the last resort."_

"You think the wolves did it?"

"_I'm not saying that honey. But are you sure Conor didn't know? He was hanging out with that Ford kid."_

"I don't know, Dad. If he did, he hid the fact that he knew. What are you thinking?"

"_Well, I- Mr. McAllister! Jade sweetie, I've got to go."_

"Call me when you find something!" All I heard was a quick 'uh-huh' and then the dial tone. I hung up the phone and headed to my room. Aunt Corinne retreated back into the kitchen, working on her weird concoctions.

My happiness from earlier subsided and was now replaced with feelings of hopelessness. _The last resort_. If nothing panned out then that meant it was the end. My anxiety returned out of nowhere as I thought about the wolves back home. I was certain that they knew something but weren't speaking up. I felt angry tears sting my eyes as I cursed at every last one of them, including Brett. They were liars. They were delinquents and bullies. They did nothing but torment other students, disrespect any adults except one of their own, and live their life without thinking about their actions' consequences. They ditch school just so they can run and hunt in the forest in their wolf form. What good were they? They didn't protect the community. They had no responsibilities. They had no use. I punched my pillow in frustration. They killed my brother. That one thought brought on more tears. This time they were tears of sadness and pain.

I heard a howl cut through the air. It sounded close by. I had an inkling on who it was, but I made no move to check. I curled up in bed and threw the blanket over me. _They killed my brother_. That was it. I had given up. I let go of the last piece of hope I had. If going down the supernatural route was the last resort, I was betting everything I had on the werewolves.

Another howl. I covered my ears with my pillow. Whimpers cut through the air. I grabbed my iPod and placed the earphones in my ears. I turned up the volume just enough to drown out the howls.

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><p><strong>Chapter Eleven Preview<strong>

_"Alright, you got me. Truce?" He called, extending his hand out. I looked at it warily. I slowly reached out for it and he grabbed it and pulled me back into the water._

_ "No! You said truce!" I cried, slapping his chest and taking my hand back. He laughed._

_ "Fine, fine!" Jacob grabbed my hand and led me out of the water. I let go and instead wrapped my arms around him._

_ "My heater!" I heard the deep chuckle come from his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. "I-I'm gonna get you b-back," I threatened him. He only laughed. I let go and began blowing into my hands. He took them and began rubbing them between his. I watched as he bent down and started blowing into my hands too. I watched as he pursed his lips and blew. His brown eyes met mine and I felt myself slowly smile. He tucked a strand of wet hair behind my ear._


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

"_Nothing really matters. I don't really care, what nobody tells me. I'm gonna be here. It's a matter of extreme importance. My first teenage love affair."_

I sang to the song playing on the radio has the put the finishing touches on my make-up. It was the day of the Sadies dance. Two days had passed since I had my breakdown over my brother's disappearance. I did everything I could to force the thought of Conor being gone for good out of my mind. I painted a smile on my face and hid my grieving from my friends and Aunt Cor. Hopefully, Jacob didn't mention hearing me cry which I knew he did with his superhuman hearing and all. Tonight I wanted to really have some fun!

"You look nice," Aunt Cor said, poking her head in my room.

"Thanks," I told her. "Although I was trying for something a little more than nice."

"Well, I'm sure whatever you wear Jacob will think you to be breathtakingly beautiful," she replied, winking at me. I rolled my eyes. "Oh, don't give me that! I know you want to impress Jacob."

I ignored her even though what she said was true. I did want to impress him. Why? Because. _You like him_. I shook my head. I didn't like him. I mean, as a friend, sure. He was a nice guy. He was a great guy. He was funny and he always made me smile and laugh. There was just something about him that made me feel comfortable and safe. It made me enjoy being around him. It made me want to always be around him. _His cute smile and sexy body was a plus. _I shook my head yet again. These thoughts had to stop. Jacob and I were just friends. _Just friends._

After giving myself a final look over, I made my way downstairs.

"I'm going now, Aunt Cor," I told her. I wrinkled my nose at the pungent smell in the kitchen. _Great now I'm going to smell like whatever it is that she's cooking_.

"Okay, drive safe and be safe!"

I made my way to my car but stopped and spun around. I picked off a flower from one of Aunt Cor's bushes and then continued on my way to the car. I drove to Jacob's house, nervousness slowly creeping in until I felt like I was going to die from it. As I was pulling up to his house, I saw Sam and Jacob talking. I slowed my car down, not wanting to stumble into one of their werewolf conversations. When I reached the end of the Black's dirt driveway, it was then that Sam looked over at me, gave a smile and waved before heading into the trees. I grabbed the flower and made my way out.

"Hey," I said. "What was that about?"

"You look beautiful," Jacob said, smiling widely and his eyes shining. I blushed.

"Thanks," I muttered, looking around Jacob. He cleared his throat.

"Uh, Sam was just laying down the rules," he explained.

"Really?" I asked. "Did he give you a curfew?"

"No," he laughed. "He was just letting me know the whereabouts of everyone tonight and who would be patrolling so if I saw anyone near the beach, I'd have to be the one to deal with them."

I nodded. I remembered about the flower in my hand. I smiled and handed it to him. "For you."

He chuckled. "Thanks." He took it from me and carefully put it in the chest pocket of his button up. I made a quick look over of his outfit. He wore a nice pair of dark blue jeans. A dark grey v-neck was under his black long sleeve button. A pair of black boots were on his feet. He still looked like Jacob, but a much more cleaned up version. _Still looks better without his shirt on_.

"That reminds me," he said. He reached for his back pocket and pulled out a flower. "For you."

I smiled in surprise at the beautiful pink orchid, my favorite! I thanked him and placed the flower behind my left ear.

"Shall we?" I asked, motioning towards my car. Jacob nodded. He walked me over and opened the driver's side door for me. I climbed in and when he closed my door, I reached over and opened his.

"Thanks," he smiled. We buckled our seatbelts and I turned the engine on and we were on our way to First Beach. I turned the radio on and began nodding my head to the music. "Just to let you know, don't expect too much from me, I don't know how to dance."

"Don't be silly," I told him. "Everyone knows how to dance!"

"Not me."

"No, I'm sure you do. Just not as well as everyone else," I teased.

"Ha-ha-ha," Jacob said sarcastically. I smiled at our little exchange. I slowed my car down as I saw the beach parking lot come into view.

"Ten bucks says the parking lot is already full."

"You've been hanging around Jared too much," Jacob told me. "Just park on the side."

I bit my lip realizing that I was not the best parallel parker in the world. Jacob guided me, but it still took me nearly ten minutes to get it right. When I finally parked, Jacob was practically biting his lip trying not to laugh.

"Shut up, Jacob. Like you could do better," I said.

"Actually yeah," he replied finally letting his laugh out. I joined in. "Hold on, let me get the door for you." I sat and waited for him to go around the car. I caught my reflection in the rearview mirror. The admired the flower tucked securely behind my ear. I smiled and watched Jacob approach my door. In that split second I decided that tonight would be a date. One night of thinking of Jacob as more than a friend wouldn't hurt, right?

Jacob opened my door and helped me out. We crossed the road and made our way across the parking lot and towards the designated bon fire area. From where we were I already saw the huge fire roaring. Paper lanterns were hung up between tall wooden totem poles along with a string of lights. I guess it was a make shift boundary line for the dance. Students were up and dancing while some took up the few dozen chairs set up around the round tables. A long table held refreshments on the side.

As we approached, heads turned in our direction. Some people even stopped to stare and whisper to their partners.

"Just ignore them," Jacob whispered in my ear. He placed his hand on the small of my back and urged me on, but my feet refused. The attention we were somehow froze me in place. Jacob then took my hand in his and led me through the make shift dance floor. Everyone parted to let us through. I heard murmurs come from all around. After making it through the sea of people, we reached the area that held the tables and chairs.

"Jade! Over here!" I heard Aimee call. My friends were crowded around the table furthest from the dance floor. Shaun had his arm draped around Aimee's shoulders, while Jennifer sat on her date's lap. This time I led Jacob.

"Hey guys!" I cried, relieved at finally finding my friends.

"You finally made it!" Aimee cried.

"Who's this?" Jennifer asked in a teasing voice. She already knew who he was. Even though they weren't formally introduce she knew his name.

"Uh, this is Jacob," I said. "Jacob that's Aimee, Shaun, Jennifer, and…" I stopped when I realized I didn't know Jennifer's date's name.

"TJ," he quickly offered. Jacob shook his hand. "You got a grip man. You play football?"

"Just with friends," Jacob answered.

"You should see him throw the ball, man. Spirals all around and perfect aim," Shaun exclaimed. "He was the dude who hit Matt."

TJ laughed. "Serves him right. I like you already."

Jacob and I joined the table. The guys immediately clicked, talking about sports. I never knew Jacob knew so much about football and basketball. He even knew a few things about soccer.

"Where's Sandra?" I asked.

"On the dance floor with Derek," Aimee said.

"I'm surprise you aren't there," I told Aimee. I knew she had a passion for dance.

"We were earlier. We decided to take a break."

"I guess Sandra and Jason did too."

"Jade!" I heard Sandra cry. She made her way towards us, her face flushed and her hair coming out of her bun. Her eyes went from me to Jacob and to our hands which were still holding onto one another. I blushed, but didn't pull away. "So you're the 'it' couple everyone was murmuring about on the dance floor."

I blushed even more. "So, you must be Jason," I said, turning my attention to her date. He nodded.

"Jason, Jade," Sandra introduced poorly. "Hi, Jacob! Nice seeing you again! I'm Sandra by the way."

"Hi, Sandra," Jacob said. Sandra and her date joined the table. We remained antisocial with the rest of the students of Forks high school. Us girls were in the middle of talking about our next shopping trip to Seattle when the guys excused themselves to get a drink.

"Want anything?" Jacob asked. This prompted the other guys to ask their dates as well.

"No thank you," I told him. The guys left.

"Are you and Jacob together now?" Jennifer asked me.

"No," I said quickly. "He's just my date."

"Sure," Sandra teased, rolling her eyes.

"How about you and Derek? I thought you were going with him?"

She shrugged. "He changed his mind and went out with Matt and the rest of the football team. They said they were too good for dances."

"Remind me why we hang out with those two again?" Aimee said.

The guys returned with none of the drinks or snacks that they promised. They were silent with smiles on their faces. Jacob sat beside me while the other guys loitered behind their dates.

"What's going on?" Aimee asked Shaun suspiciously. The guys looked at one another.

"Now!" Jason cried.

I watched as Jason, Shaun, and TJ suddenly picked up their dates. Sandra, Aimee, and Jennifer shrieked in surprise. I laughed as the guys all ran to towards the water, each girl screaming and shrieking.

Jacob and I remained at the table, laughing at my friends. I laughed even harder when Jason threw Sandra in the ocean and she came up unleashing a string of cuss words towards Jason.

"Come on, Black!" TJ yelled. "You're either with us or against us!"

I turned to Jacob to see his reaction. My laughing stopped as Jacob stared at me, a mischievous grin on his face.

"No! Jacob you better not think about it!" I jumped from my seat, but Jacob was quick to grab me around my waist. He threw me over his shoulder with ease and ran towards the ocean. My screams and shrieks grew louder and louder as I heard ocean waves. "Jacob!"

He tried to put me down but I clung tightly to his neck and wrapped my legs around his waist. Jacob gave me another mischievous grin as he dunked himself under water, taking me with him. We shot back up through the cold water and I gasped for air.

"Jerk!" I cried through the chattering of my teeth. TJ and Shaun laughed. I turned my attention towards them and brought my fist down on the water, splashing them too. This soon led to a big water splash fight between everyone, except for Sandra who was trying to dunk Jason as payback. My teeth started chattering more as a small breeze blew intensifying the coldness I felt on my skin. My friends all began retreating. Jacob followed suit. I smiled to myself as I ran and threw myself as hard as I could to tackle him back in the water. My surprise attack worked and he splashed into the water. I laughed and ran out before he could retaliate. I turned around and watched as he stood up and shook the water out of his air. He put his hands up in the air.

"Alright, you got me. Truce?" He called, extending his hand out. I looked at it warily. I slowly reached out for it and he grabbed it and pulled me back into the water.

"No! You said truce!" I cried, slapping his chest and taking my hand back. He laughed.

"Fine, fine!" Jacob grabbed my hand and led me out of the water. I let go and instead wrapped my arms around him.

"My heater!" I heard the deep chuckle come from his chest as he wrapped his arms around me. "I-I'm gonna get you b-back," I threatened him. He only laughed. I let go and began blowing into my hands. He took them and began rubbing them between his. I watched as he bent down and started blowing into my hands too. I watched as he pursed his lips and blew. His brown eyes met mine and I felt myself slowly smile. He tucked a strand of wet hair behind my ear.

"Aww, what do we have here?" I turned around at the sound of Matt's voice. Derek and a few other guys I didn't recognize stood behind him. They each held a brown paper bag wrapped in what looked like to be some kind of bottle.

"Matt! What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? I'm here for the party!" he shouted.

"Are you drunk?" I asked. I realized that it was probably beer or something alcoholic in their little brown bags.

"Want some?" Matt asked, extending his arm out. I took a step back. "Come on, Jade. Just a sip."

He took a step towards me, but that was as far as he got. Jacob stepped in between us.

"I don't think she wants any," Jacob told him. Matt chuckled and shoved Jacob. At least he tried to. Jacob stayed rooted in his spot, not even moving back an inch.

"Is this the punk you were telling us about?" one of Matt's friends asked. He was taller than Matt but still nowhere near as tall as Jacob was. He stepped up to Jacob and shoved him. He was more effective causing Jacob to stumble backwards. "You think you're tough?"

Jacob only gave him a smirk. "You sure you want to make me mad?" My eyes widened at what Jacob said. I remembered what he told me about anger triggering them to phase uncontrollably.

"Matt, tell him to back off!"

"Shut up, Jade!"

"Don't talk to her like that," Jacob said, his voice even but menacing.

"Or what?" Matt's asked stepping up to Jacob. I grabbed Jacob's arm and tried to pull him away, but he gently shook me off. I turned to Matt and did the same thing.

"Matt, just go," I told him, pulling on his arm.

"Don't touch me!" he cried as he shoved me to the ground. Jacob lunged at Matt before I hit the sandy ground. I froze as Matt and Jacob began to fight and wrestle on the ground. Fear washed over me as the thought of Jacob suddenly phased entered my mind. I should run, but I couldn't leave Jacob. Heck, I couldn't leave Matt in case Jacob did phase.

"Jake!" I heard a voice yell. Relief washed over me as Jared and Paul came into view, sprinting towards us. Jared reached down to grab Jacob while Paul pushed off Matt's friends who descended into the fight.

"Jade, are you okay?" Derek asked. I only nodded. "I'm sorry. He's drunk."

"I got her. Leave!" I turned in surprise as Embry was suddenly by my side. Derek shot me an apologetic look before running away.

"What's going on down there?"

"Shit, let's go! Paul help me with Jake!" Jared called. "Paul, now!"

Paul reluctantly stopped wrestling with two of the guys and yanked Jacob back. I noticed Jacob shaking violently and hoped that they'd get him to the forest in time.

"Come on, Jade, can't let you get in trouble either," Embry said. He motioned for me to jump on his back and he swiftly ran away. He dropped me off beside my car with ease. I heard a couple of howls rip through the air. Embry looked over his shoulder. "Come on, let's meet them at Jacob's."

I nodded and climbed in my car. I cut the engine on, not bothering to buckle up. I pulled out of my parking spot and sped to Jacob's. When I pulled up to the red one-story house, I saw Jacob and Jared already waiting outside.

"Jade, are you okay?" Jacob asked the second I stepped out of my car.

"I'm fine," I told him. My eyes widened upon seeing the fresh marks on Jacob's body.

"What happened?" I asked, lightly placing a hand on one of the fresh cuts.

"Where's Paul?" Emrby asked, saving Jacob from answering my question.

"He's inside. Rachel's taking care of him," Jared explained.

"Wha- Did you two fight?"

Jacob smiled. "It's nothing."

"What do you mean it's nothing?" I cried, getting upset. I felt tears come to my eyes. "You're cut up and bruised up! How is it nothing?"

"You should see Paul," Jared replied. He and Jacob burst out laughing.

"Shut up," I heard Paul yell from inside.

"Don't worry, Jade," Rachel said sticking her head out the front door. "This is something you're gonna have to get used to." Paul's head suddenly appeared. He had a black eye and a few scratches on his face.

"You cheated! You phased a few seconds before I did! You had an advantage! I'll get you next time." I glared at Paul. Rachel gave me a small smile and placed a hand on Paul's cheek.

"Come on, I'm not done fixing you up."

"Well, that was fun," Jared said, jumping up from his seat. "But I should get back to patrolling before some leech crosses the treaty line. You coming Embry?"

"Yeah," Embry replied, following Jared.

"See you two later!"

I watched the two disappear into the night before turning back to Jacob.

"Come here," he said hugging me. "Don't get upset. It's nothing. This happens all the time."

"What? You and the others attack each other when you're angry?"

"Yeah," Jacob replied seriously. "Better one another than other people. At least we can heal ourselves, you know?"

I nodded. "Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"I'm fine," he told me, grabbing my hands. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't mean to ruin your night."

"It's not your fault so don't apologize."

"You should go back. You shouldn't miss out because of me."

"Yeah, let me go back because I would just love to be harassed by a drunken Matt again." Jacob let go of my hands and clenched it into fists beside him. I grabbed them and started pulling him towards my car.

"What are you doing?"

"The night is still young! My curfew isn't until midnight, so I think we should head to Port Angeles and watch a movie or something!"

"I probably should grab a shirt first," Jacob suggested. The mention of him being shirtless made my eyes go to his exposed chest and abs. I blushed and quickly let go of his hand.

"Yeah, that might be a good idea," I said, forcing a laugh.

"Of course, unless you prefer me being shirtless?" he said, wriggling his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes as my cheeks grew hotter.

"Hurry up! As a matter of fact, I need to change too. My clothes are still wet," I frowned pulling at my shirt.

"You might get sick!" Jacob cried. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have dropped you in the water!"

I tried reassuring him that it was fine, but he grabbed my hands and pulled me into the house.

"Take off your clothes," he told me as we entered the house.

"What?" Rachel, Paul, Billy, and I said at the same time.

"Her clothes are wet!" Jacob explained. "She's gonna get sick!"

Rachel groaned. "Calm down Jacob and put a shirt on." Rachel took hold of me and steered me down a hall and into a bedroom which I assumed was hers. She rummaged through her drawers and pulled out a few things and turned back to me. "I'm pretty sure these will fit you. Change into them and I'll put your clothes in the dryer."

"Thanks," I said. She smiled and left me to change. After stripping out of my wet clothes, I pulled on the black tank top and the dark blue velour sweats. I threw on the matching sweater and made my way out. Rachel was against the wall being kissed by Paul. "Oh! Sorry!"

She quickly pushed him away. Paul glared at me.

"A little warning next time," I joked.

"Let me put your clothes in the dryer."

I thanked her again and passed Paul to head over to the living room. Billy sat in his chair facing the TV. I smiled and took a seat on the couch.

"How was the bon fire?" Billy asked. His eyes twinkled with amusement.

"I think you have a general idea," I said earning a chuckle from him. Paul entered the room and plopped himself across the love seat. I saw Billy roll his eyes.

"How was your day, Billy?" I asked.

"It was great! Charlie and I went fishing."

Paul groaned.

"Shouldn't have asked, Jade," Rachel said making her way to Paul. "Another thing you'll learn."

I didn't know what she meant, but I soon found out. That simple question I asked led to a full story about his fishing trip with Charlie which included full details of the different kinds of fish they caught and almost caught.

"Ready to go Jade?" Jacob asked.

"Yeah," I cried a little too quickly.

"Where are you guys going?" Rachel asked.

"Port Angeles," I answered while Jacob replied with, "Out."

"You guys should stay and hang out here," Rachel said.

"Why?" whined Paul and Jacob at the same time. Billy laughed.

"I think I'll call it a night. Good night," he said as he wheeled himself to his room.

"Jade wanted to catch a movie in Port Angeles."

"Let them go, babe. Jacob already ruined their date earlier. Let him make up for it!"

"Thanks, Paul," Jacob muttered, glaring at him.

"Good point," Rachel said. She turned to us and smiled. "Have fun you two!"

Jacob didn't waste any time in leading me out the house.

An hour later we arrived at Port Angeles. We were able to catch the last showing of the movie 300. I guess the excitement that night wore me out because one minute I was watching a half naked Gerard Butler and the next thing I was being woken up by Jacob.

"Come on, let's get you home." He sounded amused. I held onto his arm as he led us out the theatre and into the streets of Port Angeles. I shivered as the late night cold seeped through the thin sweater. I repositioned his arm around me as I wrapped my arms around him. I sighed with content as his body heat warmed me up. "Here, let me drive."

I agreed without a fight. I got in the passenger's seat and tucked my feet under me. Jacob spent the first half of the drive home talking about the movie and all the awesomeness that I missed. After promising that I'd watch it again with him, I was rewarded with a several minutes of silence. I was close to falling asleep again when Jacob cleared his throat. He wanted to talk about something. I smiled to myself, surprised at how I knew this small detail about him.

"What is it?" I asked. He smiled, apparently thinking the same thing.

"I have a confession," he said. I nodded and urged him on. "Uh, don't think that I'm weird or creepy or anything-"

"I'm not sure if I want to know this…" I told him. "Do I want to know this?"

"Probably."

"Okay. What creepy thing do you do that I want to know that you do?"

"Well, when I patrol sometimes I...go by your house."

I nodded. It was something I already knew. "Yeah, I heard you howling the other night."

"You did?" he asked, not surprised. "So you knew I was there?"

_Crap._ I nodded and looked away. I walked right into that one.

"Why were you crying?" he finally asked. I remained silent. "Jade, come on, you know you can tell me anything. You can trust me."

"I know," I told him. "That's not what I'm concerned about."

"Then what?"

I only shook my head. "It's nothing. I'm fine." He nodded.

"But you know that you can always come to me if you need to talk about anything, right?" he asked, placing a hand on mine.

"Yeah," I said.

He didn't say anything after that. He just kept his warm hand on mine and I didn't pull away. I liked holding his hand. I liked hugging him. I liked being close to him. I looked over and watched him. His left hand gripped the steering wheel in a relaxed fashion. His brown eyes focused on the road, glancing every now and then into the rear view mirror. I looked away before he could see me looking at him.

I repositioned myself so I could curl up on the seat while making sure his hand stayed in mine. The rest of the ride was quiet, not another word was spoken, and the radio remained on the lowest volume. It wasn't awkward, it was comfortable.

It wasn't until he turned into my street that I realized he had no way to get home.

"I can make it home in fifteen minutes," he told me after I pointed it out. He nodded towards the forest.

"Oh yeah."

"Oh yeah? Did you forget I was a werewolf or something?"

I laughed. He walked me to the door. He opened his arms for a hug and I obliged. Then I stood on my tip toes and pulled him down to place a kiss on his cheek.

"Thanks for tonight," I told him.

"You're welcome," he replied, stunned.

I smiled at his expression and turned to go inside.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>While going through my story outline of this fanfic, I realized that a big chunk of the middle piece. I ended up rewriting and changing things around so my updates may start to slow down until I am satisfied with my rewrite of the outline.

On another note, things are starting to get interesting. ;)**  
><strong>

_**Chapter Twelve Preview  
><strong>_

_"Jacob…" I said quietly. He whipped around._

_ "Are you ever going to tell me anything?" he yelled. I was stunned that he raised his voice at me. I took a couple of steps back as he made his way towards me. "Or are you just going to keep me in the dark?"_

_ My mouth seemed to forget how to form words. He turned to leave but I grabbed onto him. "Jake," was the only thing I was able to say._

_ "It seems like you're still hiding something," Jacob said, not looking at me. The anger was still evident in his voice. I felt his arm begin to tremble. "I opened up to you because I didn't want to keep anything from you and I wanted you to trust me. I wanted you to know me completely." The trembling was getting worse. I let go of my hold on him. "I thought you'd at least do the same."_


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Where did you and Jacob disappear to last night?" Sandra asked the second I sat down at their table. It was Saturday afternoon. After sleeping in, I was woken up by my cell phone's constant ringing. Sandra, Jennifer, and Aimee bombarded me with texts, calls, and voicemails asking for details from last night.

"Oh my gosh!" Aimee exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand. She leaned in closer and lowered her voice. "Did you two…"

I scrunched face in confusion. Then it dawned on me. "No! No, no, no! We didn't…do that," I cried.

"Then where did you go?" Jennifer asked.

"Who cares? If they didn't do it, why does it matter?" Sandra replied.

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "It's not always about sex, Sandra." She turned to me. "So?"

"We bumped into Matt and Derek and a bunch of other guys," I said.

"Don't tell me; Matt started the tough guy bit?"

I nodded. "And he was drunk." The girls groaned.

"He's an idiot."

"I hope Jacob kicked his ass," Aimee muttered. We all smiled. Aimee was a total sweetheart so her saying that was amusing.

"Did he?" Sandra asked, showing interest again.

I shrugged. "A couple of Jacob's friends showed up in time and broke it up. One of the chaperones started heading over so we took off. I don't know what happened to Matt and his friends though. But I do know Derek was able to run off too."

"I wish I had been there," Sandra said. "Jacob's friends are so hot!"

"_Jacob_ is hot," Jennifer said.

"I know, but he's with Jade."

"He is not _with_ me. We are just friends," I said defensively.

"With benefits?" Jennifer joked.

"It's not a benefit if you're not doing it," Sandra countered. "Did you two even kiss yet?"

"No, because friends do not just kiss each other," I replied.

"Seriously, Jade, do you like Jacob?" Aimee asked, looking me in the eye.

"He's a great guy. He's nice and sweet. But we're just friends."

"Yeah, but you want to be more than just friends, right?"

"No," I said, but I looked away.

"Whatever," Sandra rolled her eyes. "You're so hung up on Jacob that you don't even notice the other guys that like you!"

"You make it seem like I'm always with Jacob!" I cried. They gave me a look. "I'm not!"

"Then tell me this," Sandra said, pointing her fork at me. "Did you go home after the bon fire last night?"

I didn't answer which made my friends smile at one another knowingly.

"Second question, _who_ were you with last night?" They all started laughing when I didn't answer again.

"Alright, look, honestly? I like his company."

"His company or _him_?" Aimee challenged.

The small smile that formed on my lips was enough of an answer for my friends.

The following day I sat on the couch, watching the TV but not really paying attention. I'd been this way for the few hours, impatiently waiting for Jacob. We made plans for today, but Jacob said he had things to take care of and didn't know when he'd be by to pick me up. I hope it was soon; I was anxious to see him. After my lunch with the girls, I realized how I really felt about Jacob. I guess I had known it all along but never admitted to myself. I wasn't looking to fall for him, let alone anyone here. I guess he sort of just crept up on me.

My knees bounced up and down as I looked up at the clock. It was almost four o'clock. I sighed just as the door bell rang. I squealed to myself and jogged to the front door. I took a deep breath and smoothed my hair before opening the door.

"Hi," I greeted, trying not to sound too excited.

"Hey, sorry I took so long."

"It's fine."

"You ready to head out?" I nodded and stepped outside, closing the door behind me. Jacob waited till I caught up before walking beside me.

"What are we-" I stopped as I saw his motorcycle parked at the end of the driveway. "This is a pleasant surprise."

"Yeah, I thought it was about time we went for another ride. And I promise, no rain this time."

I smiled. "I don't know. I kind of enjoyed the rain."

"You mean you enjoyed having my arms around you." My mouth formed an O in surprise. I felt a blush creep to my cheeks. "I'm joking," he said. I let out a small laugh. He held out a helmet. "Don't argue, you're wearing it."

I rolled my eyes but took it from him. I put the helmet on and then hopped on the motorcycle. I scooted up as Jacob took the place behind me.

"You ready?" he asked, turning the motorcycle on. I signaled with a thumbs up and we were off. We were headed to First Beach. Soon I realized we were headed to the same place we went to the first time I rode with him. He slowed down as we reached the dead end. He pulled over to the side and cut off the engine. I pulled off the helmet and placed it in front of me. I felt the weight shift as Jacob got off. I swung my leg over as he offered his hand to help me off.

I looked towards the beach. I smiled at the memory of being here the first time. I felt a tug on my hand.

"Come on," Jacob said nodding towards the forest.

"The forbidden forest?" I asked in mock shock. He rolled his eyes then smiled. I let him lead the way, my hand clasped in his. I had trouble keeping up with his long strides. Not to mention the fact that I wore sandals, thinking that it was going to be another beach day. I keep stumbling over fallen leaves and branches.

"Here, get on," Jacob said. I jumped on his back. "Maybe I should've given you a heads up on where we were headed.

"Yeah," I agreed.

"But then it wouldn't have been a surprise."

"If you wanted me to finally see the forest, you could've just taken me to the one right beside my house," I joked. He laughed and shook his head.

"Just wait," he told me. After a few more minutes of hiking up the steep slope, Jacob stopped and had me jump off. He took my hand again and pulled me forward.

I gasped at what I saw. We were on top of a cliff. That explained the steep slope. The ocean shimmered under the setting sun's light. There was a small island nestled in the water. The deep green trees added to the beauty of it all.

"Wow, this is…" I trailed off, still in awe.

"It's my special place," I heard Jacob say.

"It's so…beautiful," I said breathlessly.

"Yeah, I know." I looked over to smile at him and saw that he was already looking at me. He gave me a smile, making me blush. "I come here whenever I need an escape from all the craziness that comes with the whole shape shifter deal. I just sit here and pretend that I'm…normal."

I nodded. "I know what you mean."

"You do?" I looked back at him. He cocked an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah. I mean, I can relate to the whole needing an escape part. Not the pretending to be normal part."

"But you're not normal. You hang out with wolves," he reminded me.

I laughed. "True. That's not the norm, but it has been for me for almost the past year."

Jacob frowned. "Wait, you've hung out with wolves before?" he asked confused. I bit my lip and looked away. He took me by the shoulders and gently turned me to face him. "Were they the same ones that attacked you?"

I didn't answer and still didn't look him in the eye. He let out a frustrated sigh and dropped his hands, clenching them into fists. He turned around and kicked a rock off the ledge.

"Jacob…" I said quietly. He whipped around.

"Are you ever going to tell me anything?" he yelled. I was stunned that he raised his voice at me. I took a couple of steps back as he made his way towards me. "Or are you just going to keep me in the dark?"

My mouth seemed to forget how to form words. He turned to leave but I grabbed onto him. "Jake," was the only thing I was able to say.

"It seems like you're still hiding something," Jacob said, not looking at me. The anger was still evident in his voice. I felt his arm begin to tremble. "I opened up to you because I didn't want to keep anything from you and I wanted you to trust me. I wanted you to know me completely." The trembling was getting worse. I let go of my hold on him. "I thought you'd at least do the same."

He began to walk away. I was about to stop him again when he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the ground. He ran off into the woods. He was phasing. I remained standing at my spot, still stunned from Jacob's outburst and yelling. I brought my hand to my forehead and used my palm to massage small circles on it. There was nothing to do but to just wait.

I sat on the ground and leaned back against the log and waited for him. The alone time gave me a chance to admire the beauty of the sunset's rays glow over the green trees and blue water. Though, the beauty didn't seem as breath taking now that Jacob wasn't with me to admire it. I sighed at the thought of Jacob. I didn't want to think about what just happened, but I knew I couldn't just sweep it under the rug. He was upset. He was mad and he had every right to be. I really wasn't being fair to him. Even though I wasn't too keen about him when we first met, we had grown to be good close friends over the past few months. I even started to develop feelings for him. He trusted me not only with his secret, but with his friends', his pack's, and his family's.

I don't know how long I sat there, absorbed in my thoughts, but the sound of footsteps brought me back to reality. He was back.

"I should get you home," was all he said, his voice monotone. I got up and dusted the dirt off my pants. He turned around and headed down the cliff. I ran and grabbed his hand.

"Jacob, I'm sorry." He stopped for a second and then turned to face me. He studied me for a second, looking conflicted.

"No, I'm sorry," he finally sighed. "You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to."

"Stop, you're right. I'm doing to you what Brett did to me."

"Brett?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

I took a deep breath. "My ex-boyfriend." There was a few seconds of silence. Then Jacob narrowed his eyes.

"He was a werewolf?" I nodded. He snatched his hand away from mine. "Was that why you broke up with him?" I crossed my arms as I looked away. "I thought you it was because he cheated on you."

"He did and that was _one_ of the reasons, not the _main_ reason…" I trailed off. Jacob shook his head. He looked ready to storm off again. "Jacob! Please, just let me explain. I promise to tell you everything, okay?" Once the words left my mouth, I knew I couldn't take them back.

Jacob finally nodded his head. He made his way past me and sat where I previously sat. I followed and sat beside him. I took a deep breath and took a minute to sort out my thoughts.

"Well?" Jacob said impatiently.

"Well," I began. I didn't know how to go about telling him everything. Should I start with Brett and then the werewolves? Do I leave out the part about Conor? No, I promised him _everything_. I decided that telling him what he wanted to know would be best. "What do you want to know?"

He took a second to think. "Why did you really break up with your ex-boyfriend?"

I sighed. "Because I was scared of him."

"Why? Was he the one who attacked you?"

"No, this girl who had a thing for him did. I was scared of him and his pack."

"Basically you were scared because they were werewolves," Jacob said.

"Yeah, kind of," I replied.

"Either you were or you weren't, Jade!"

"Okay, fine!" I cried. "Yes, I was scared of them because they were werewolves. I was attacked by one of them and they were the last ones that I knew my brother was with before he disappeared!"

"You think they had something to do with your brother disappearing?"

"Honestly? I think they killed him," I said. "It's been three months, Jacob. Not one single shred of evidence. I last saw Conor with Lukas and his friends after school. The security cameras last caught Conor heading out into the forest where the wolves usually ran. It was them." I shook my head. "I blamed them. I went to Brett and told him what I thought happened to Conor and he told me to drop it. That was when I realized that he was one of them. I called him a monster and broke up with him."

"If you thought he was a monster, then you think I'm-"

"No, I don't think that about you, Jacob!" I told him.

"What's the difference, Jade?"

"You didn't kill my brother!" I covered my face with my hands. I felt Jacob's arm slide around my shoulders. He moved closer until he was holding me in his arms.

"I'm sorry, Jade," he said softly.

"It's okay," I muttered into his chest.

"I shouldn't have pushed you to talk about this."

"No, it's fine," I said, looking up at him. "You deserve to know everything."

"There's more?" he asked.

I nodded. "Eventually the entire pack found out that I knew. They weren't happy. They became especially unhappy when I started accusing them of having something to do with Conor's disappearance. The animosity towards me got so bad that my parents wanted to leave. The wolves didn't want that because they were afraid I'd tell their secret."

"How'd you manage to leave then?"

"They made a deal. My parents would stay behind and I would be able to leave. So that if I ever told anyone about them…"

"Your parents… They wouldn't."

I scoffed. "That's why they are monsters. You don't know what they're capable of."

"That explains your dislike of wolves," Jacob commented with a small smile.

"Yeah, but I heard shape shifters weren't so bad." His smile grew bigger. I turned to watch the sunset. After a while, I turned back to Jacob. "Sometimes I still look over my shoulder to see if I'm being watched. I never met the entire pack so there's always that thought in the back of my head that they could be anyone and be anywhere, watching me. Just waiting for me to slip up so they can hurt my parents." I didn't even realize my tears until Jacob wiped them away.

"Hey, don't think like that," he said, pulling me close again. "They're just bluffing. They possibly can't be that bad."

"I just don't want to do anything that could end up hurting my parents."

"Isn't your dad the police chief? Didn't you say he had a few officers that he trusted?"

"Yeah, plus we have our neighbors and a few others who promised me they'd keep them safe."

"See, they'll be safe," Jacob reassured me.

"But still. If anything were to happen, I'd rather it be me than them."

"Don't say that," Jacob said, sound pained. "I don't think I can deal if you ever got hurt, or worse." I buried my face into his chest, wanting to hide the blushing in my cheeks. "If only I could meet those wolves…"

I laughed. "I'd like to see that. They're puny little dogs compared to you guys." Jacob smiled, obviously pleased with what he just heard.

"Yet they still managed to hurt you," he said, darkly. "I can't believe they'd attack an innocent." I didn't reply. "You know I'd never let anything happen to you right?" he said softly. I slowly nodded my head. "I would never let anyone from my pack or Sam's pack hurt you. _I_ would never hurt you."

My breath caught in my throat, my heart started pounding faster, and I felt the tingling sensation in my stomach again. I snuggled closer to him. I closed my eyes and let the warmth of Jacob's body surround me.

"Why do I feel so safe with you?" I asked quietly. He pulled away just enough to look me in my eyes. "Because that's what I'm here for: to protect you and keep you safe. No matter what." I felt chills run up and down my spine as he said this. I nodded. He looked out to the ocean. The sun was long gone and the sky was dark blue.

"I should get you home. It's starting to get dark and I have patrol in a bit."

He had me hop on his back as we descended back down to where his motorcycle was. When we got to the house, he helped me off the motorcycle and I instantly clung onto him. Just as quickly, he wrapped an arm around me and walked me to the door.

"Thanks for sharing your special place with me."

"Of course," he said with a smile.

I stood on the top step and hugged him like I always did. This time, our hug lasted longer than usual. We pulled apart, but I kept my arms wrapped around his neck. I looked into his chocolate brown eyes and I suddenly felt different. Rather than letting go and stepping inside the house, I felt myself wanting to get closer to him. The next thing I knew, I was leaning in until his lips met mine.

I pulled away, surprised at what I just did. Jacob looked as surprised as I felt. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

"I-I should get inside. Good night," I said quickly turning around and walking inside. I closed the door behind me and leaned against it. My heart was beating pretty fast and I evened my breathing to stop from blushing. I slowly turned around and tiptoed to look through the peep hole. Jacob was still standing in front of the door, the surprised expression gone from his face. Instead, his face held an expression of pure happiness. He smiled as he touched his lips with his fingers. I smiled.

"Good night, Jade," he said, looking directly at the peep hole. He waved before turning back towards his motorcycle. I ducked as if he had seen me. My cheeks were back to being hot and red, but my smile was still there. After watching him ride off, I sprinted up the stairs and into my room. I flopped down on the bed and just laid there, staring at the ceiling. I replayed everything in my head, my smile getting bigger when I remembered how Jacob smiled after I kissed him. _I _kissed _Jacob_. It was the boldest move I had ever done, but it just felt right.

A knock on my door brought me back from cloud nine.

"Jade," Aunt Cor said, poking her head in. "I've been calling you."

"Sorry," I said, sitting up.

"Good day?" she asked, sitting on my bed in her usual spot.

I nodded excitedly causing her to laugh.

"What'd you and Jake do?"

"I kissed him," I blurted. Aunt Corinne's eyes widened in surprise and then she smiled.

"Finally! I knew you liked him!"

"Yeah, I do," I said, my mind drifting off to think about Jacob again. A thought came to me. "Do you think he likes me?"

She nodded. "I think so."

"You think?" I frowned. "What if you think wrong? What if he just wants to be friends?" I asked. I began to panic. "What if he doesn't like me? And I _kissed _him! I don't want things to be weird between us if he doesn't like me like that!"

"Jade, calm down! Let me rephrase what I said. I know for a fact that Jacob likes you." I still wasn't convinced. "He has for a while now."

"He has?" I asked, surprised. It was a nice thought that all this time Jacob had liked me. If only I had known sooner…then again, if I had known he liked me before I found out he was a shape shifter then it would have been like the whole Brett thing all over again. Realization dawned on me. I know understood why Jacob told me his secret first. I smiled, appreciating him even more.

"Yeah, ever since he first met you. Like love at first sight," Aunt Corinne sighed. I laughed.

"When we first met? At the police station?" I asked. "He barely even looked at me!"

"I meant at the dinner," Aunt Cor said rolling her eyes. "Billy told me that Jacob couldn't stop talking about you after that."

"Even Billy knew?"

"Everyone knew, except for you!" she exclaimed, her eyes twinkling in amusement.

"It all makes sense now," I said, remembering all the times the guys teased me and Jacob. I always thought they were just picking on him since they picked on one another a lot.

"He likes you, Jade," Aunt Cor said, placing a hand on my leg. "He was so miserable before you came along and the second he finally laid eyes on you…all that misery just went away. You made him so happy again and back to his old self. We all appreciate that."

"You make it sound like he was depressed or something."

"Close to it," she said. "He ran away a few months before you got here. He was only back for a couple of weeks when you came."

"Why was he depressed?" I asked.

"Uh…you know, me and my big mouth," Aunt Cor said, more to herself than me. "I think I've said too much, Jade. I don't think Jacob wanted me to tell you any of that… It really should've been him."

"What-"

"No! No more! My big mouth is closed! I am shutting it and locking it! Throwing the key away!" she cried dramatically. She quickly got up and exited my room before I could ask anymore questions.

I stared after her in confusion, trying to make sense of everything just told me. It sounded simple enough: something happened to make Jacob depressed enough to run away. Then he returned and remained depressed. Then I moved here and we met and he was happy again. I wondered why he was depressed in the first place. I was curious. I couldn't just ask him and bring up his period of depression. I decided that I wouldn't ask and would just suffer with my curiousity. The fact that I helped him get over his depression should be enough for me. I made him happy and got him back to his old self. All because I just showed up to that stupid dinner that I didn't want to go to in the first place.

I laughed to myself remembering how rude I thought he was. He didn't even look at me when we first were introduced. Then during the dinner he finally looked at me and… He finally looked at me. Like love at first sight. _Imprinting_.

These thoughts came at me all too fast. I shook my head and back tracked. Jacob and I met at the police station. I'm pretty sure he looked at me at some point and I just didn't notice. Then during dinner, he didn't glance my way until he was about to sit down. I recalled how he fell after he looked at me. I remembered him staring at me with some kind of expression on his face.

He imprinted on me.

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><p><strong>AN: <strong>Dun, dun, dun! Jade has finally figured it out. Is it a good thing or a bad thing? What do you think her reaction will be?


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

I pulled up to the little brown house. Even from inside my car I could hear them all talking and laughing. I took a deep breath and let it out before getting out of my car. As soon as my car door slammed, the door to Emily's house opened. Jared leaped from the porch as Paul threw the football in the air.

"Jade!" Jacob said a huge smile on his face.

"Hi Jade!" Paul said in a teasing tone. No doubt the others already knew about the kiss. I said nothing and only watched as Jacob made his way towards me. He was shirtless, as were the others, but my eyes were glued on Jacob only. I urged my eyes to look at Jacob's face rather than his chiseled abs or his nice sculpted arms. Instead, my eyes began to look at his cute smile on his perfect lips. My eyes traveled higher. They rested on his nice brown eyes framed perfectly with his black lashes. Even his eyes smiled.

I looked away, settling anywhere else but on Jacob. I was there to have a serious talk with him. I couldn't get distracted.

"Jade?" came Jacob's voice. The smile was gone. Now, he looked concerned. I waited until he was a foot away.

"Can we talk?" I asked, my voice lowered. Though I tried to be discreet, I noticed how the other guys paused whatever they were doing to look over at me and Jacob.

"Uh, sure." He closed the gap between us. "What about?"

I shook my head. "Somewhere where they can't hear," I told him, nodding to his friends who were still watching us.

Jacob nodded and took my hand. "This way."

We headed towards the woods. We walked for a few minutes in silence until Jacob stopped and faced me. I looked behind us.

"I can't hear them so, I'm pretty sure they can't hear us," Jacob told me. I nodded. I sighed and looked at our surroundings. I could feel his eyes were on me.

"What's wrong?" he finally asked. I took a deep breath and began to pace. "Jade." He stopped me from pacing. I slowly turned and finally looked at him again.

"The first time we met," I started slowly, "you were rude to me-"

"Jade, I already apologized," he said. "I still feel guilty-"

"Let me finish, Jacob." He stopped and then nodded. I took a deep breath. "You didn't look at me the first time we met at the station. And during dinner that night, you didn't look at me when Sue asked if we met. You didn't even acknowledge me. But when you finally did look at me, you fell, and then you were suddenly nice to me." I stopped and glanced at him. He looked like he knew what I was about to ask. "You imprinted on me, didn't you?"

"Yeah, I did," he told me, smiling. He closed the distance between us and hugged me. "I'm relieved that you finally know!"

I gently pushed him away and took a step back. "What does that even mean, Jacob? You imprinting on me? I mean, I know you explained imprinting to me, but what does that _mean_?" I asked.

He didn't reply. It looked like he didn't know how to reply. His smile was gone and now he looked confused then concerned, even a little scared.

"If you had never looked at me, then you wouldn't have imprinted, and this…friendship we have now wouldn't even exist!" I said, my voice slightly raised.

"That's not true, Jade! I would've imprinted on you either way!" He placed his hands on my shoulders. "If I had looked at you the first time we met or even later, it still would have been you." I frowned, not knowing if I believed him or not. "Where is all this coming from, Jade?"

I dropped my gaze. "I-I heard about you going through something rough before I moved here. I just got curious and started thinking…"

"You and you're thinking," he joked. I looked at him, not smiling. He dropped his hold on me. "It wasn't important," he told me quietly.

"I want to know," I said softly.

"Jade-"

"Tell me, Jacob. Wasn't it just yesterday that you were yelling at me for not telling you about _my_ past? Well how about you? And why didn't you tell me you imprinted on me?"

"I've wanted to for a while, but I just didn't know how," he told me. "_'Hey, I imprinted on you and you're now my everything_' isn't exactly a casual thing to say."

I looked away, trying not to look too much into how he said I was now his 'everything.' I crossed my arms. "That doesn't explain what happened to you before."

He sighed. "There was this girl," he told me, looking away. "Bella Swan."

"Charlie Swan's daughter? Chief Swan?"

Jacob nodded. "I-I was…I had feelings for her."

For some unknown reason, I felt a pang of jealousy. Jacob didn't say anything else, but he didn't have to. It was a typically story, so the ending wasn't hard to predict.

"Let me guess, she broke your heart?" He didn't answer but it was obvious enough. "What? Was she was in love with someone else?"

"Yes," he answered softly. It felt like my heart exploded. I turned around and walked away. I didn't want to be near Jacob at that moment.

"Wait, Jade!" I ignored him. He touched my shoulder and I shrugged him off. "What's the matter?" This time, he grabbed my arm to stop me from walking away any further. "Why are you upset?"

"Why?" I asked, finally looking him in the eye. "Jacob you were in love with another girl. She broke your heart and you suddenly get over her the second you looked into my eyes? Am I supposed to just accept that?" He let go of my arm. He moved his mouth as if trying to say something, but I didn't give him the chance. "Admit it, Jacob. If you hadn't seen me, you'd still be moping around all angry and still pining for Bella."

"No!" Jacob cried, frustration in his voice. "After hearing your voice the first time, I felt a pull towards you and I tried to ignore it. I wasn't even planning on going to that damn dinner, but then I heard your voice again and it just drew me to you."

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" I asked angrily. "I'm sorry Jacob, but I'm not going to be some quick fix for your broken heart that some other girl caused." I turned on my heel and left a crushed looked Jacob. I ran out of the forest and passed by Emily's house with the guys still hanging around in the front. I knew that they all heard everything with the way they were looking at me.

I got into my car and sped away. Rather than going home, I ended up at the school parking lot. I was too hurt and angry to go home and sulk. I needed to run off my frustrations.

By the time I was done running, the sun was already setting. I was all sweaty and my legs felt as though they were turning into jelly. I rested for a few minutes before driving back home. As I neared the house, my heart stopped as I saw a familiar looking truck parked in the front. The last couple of hours I spent running was a waste as the pain and anger rose up again. I quickly parked my car and decided to just book it to my room. The stairs weren't too far from the front door. I would make it up to my room before Aunt Cor or Jacob could even stop me.

I jogged up the path and opened the door, not bothering to keep quiet.

"Jade," Aunt Cor called. I saw shadows in the living room. I didn't answer. I just let my feet do the talking and stomped all the way up to my room. I wasn't surprised when Aunt Cor poked her head in my room not even a minute later. "Jade Nichols! What is wrong with you?"

I ignored her as I began to strip off my sweaty shirt.

"Jacob told me you two had an argument and he's been waiting for you-"

"I don't want to talk to him," I cut her off.

"Jade, don't be rude. He's been patiently-"

"Aunt Cor!" I yelled. She jumped at my tone. "For once can you please just be on Team Jade? I. Do. Not. Want. To. Talk. To. Him."

Silence. Aunt Cor finally nodded.

"I'll tell him you'll call him when you're ready to talk to him then," she said as she closed the door behind her. I sighed. I felt bad for yelling at Aunt Cor. She was only trying to help…Jacob. I grabbed a towel from my drawer and headed to the bathroom. I took a nice long, hot shower to soothe my aching muscles. When I was done, I changed into my pajamas and dried my hair. I spent a few minutes French braiding my long hair. I looked at the clock. It was almost nine. I wasn't sleepy. I brought out my laptop and decided to just surf the web.

A howl came from outside. It sounded close by. I set my laptop on my night stand and made my way to my window. I pulled back my curtains and looked up and down the street. Another howl. I looked towards the forest and saw a large shadow. Another howl in that direction confirmed my suspicion that it was Jacob. I shut my curtains closed and turned off the light. I guess I could try and sleep.

More howling. I covered my ears with my pillow. One long howl came and then it was quiet again. I waited five minutes before uncovering my ears. Nothing. He was gone. I fluffed up my pillow and closed my eyes. A loud thud made them open again. I sat up and looked around my room. I saw nothing out of the norm. As I was about to lay back down, a softer thud came from my window. I got out of bed and walked towards it again. My window slowly opened and Jacob tumbled in. It all happened so fast. A scream escaped from my mouth, but was quickly muffled when Jacob covered my mouth.

"Shh," he whispered. I tried to ask him what he was doing, but it was hard to talk with his giant hand over my mouth.

"Jade, are you okay honey?" Aunt Corinne asked on the other side of my door. I saw her shadow from under the door's crack. Jacob uncovered my mouth.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…fell off my bed."

"Okay. Be careful next time," she replied sleepily. I watched as her shadow disappeared.

I turned to Jacob. "What are you doing?"

"I wanted to talk to you," he told me.

"So climbing through my window was the answer?"

"You're the one who's been ignoring me," he loudly whispered. I rolled my eyes. "Look, Jade, I know you're mad and upset, but I'm not going to apologize because honestly, I wouldn't know what I'd be apologizing for. That doesn't mean I don't understand why you're so upset. I told you this whole imprinting thing was complicated."

"It's stupid."

"You didn't think so when I told you about it the first time around."

"True, but the more I think about it, the more I think that it just sucks. I mean, look at what happened to Leah. She and Sam were in love before he imprinted on Emily. That left Leah so heartbroken and even until now she's still bitter about it! Is this how imprinting is for everyone? You imprint and someone gets hurt?"

"No, trust me, Sam's imprinting was the worst one out of all of the other guys'." I shook my head in disbelief. "Look, you said you believed in love at first sight. Do you also believe that everyone has a soul mate?"

I shrugged. "Let me guess, you imprinted on me so that makes me your soul mate."

Jacob nodded and I sighed. He took my hands into his.

"Yes, Jade, you're my soul mate and like I told you so many times before, I will do anything and everything for you. I'll protect you, keep you safe, and make and keep you happy."

"Just like that?" I scoffed. "All it took was one look?"

"Yeah," he said softly. I shook my head.

"That's stupid," I said. He looked crushed. "That's not possible."

"You said you believed in love at first sight," he reminded me. I sighed. He had me there. I did tell him that, but now that it happened to me, I wasn't so sure.

"I know," I finally said. "But it's just so hard to believe."

"Harder than werewolves?"

I gave a small laugh. "No, it's just that…imprinting… After you told me about you and Bella-"

"There was no 'me and Bella.' There was me and then there was Bella. There's a difference, Jade."

"Well after you told me about what happened with Bella and you being heartbroken… I can't help but feel as if whatever feelings you have for me are just forced because of imprinting." He shook his head. "That you feel the way you feel about me because-"

"You are the one for me," Jacob said.

"And how would you know that? Jacob we're young. A lot of people don't find their soul mate until they're in their twenties!"

Jacob sighed. "Remember how I told you that imprinting makes us connected to our soul mate?" I nodded. "I just think about it in terms of that. Everyone has a soul mate who they're connected to. They spend all of their lives looking for that one person. I like to think that imprinting just helps us find our soul mate faster."

I thought about his explanation. It made sense, but I was still wary of Jacob's feelings towards me. It was still too much to absorb.

"So…what does this mean then? What does it mean for us? About us?"

"It's up to you," Jacob said. "Being soul mates doesn't necessarily mean we have to be together as a couple. I don't want you to think that just because I imprinted in you that you have to be with me."

"Oh," was all I could say. For some reason I felt sad that he didn't want me to want to be with him. I was so confused. First I was flipping out about his feelings being forced and now I _want_ him to want me to want him?

"Now that I think about it, I'm kind of glad I didn't tell you about imprinting right off the bat. It gave us a chance to be friends first and work slowly to where we are. You know, like how normal people do it," Jacob teased lightly. "But after hearing all this, if you want to stay friends, then I understand."

I nodded. He was right. I hadn't known he imprinted on me until last night _after_ I kissed him. Even if he imprinted on me the second he looked into my eyes, he still didn't throw himself at me. He befriended me first and we both just let things flow.

"I have on last question," I said. He nodded for me to continue. "If this whole imprinting business didn't exist, do you think that you and I still would've gotten to where we are now?"

He shrugged. "Eventually." A smile spread across his face. "I mean, I was heartbroken and you were…distant when we first met. I think it would've taken a lot of time for us to break the ice and become friends. Which brings me back to the point that imprinting just helps us find our soul mate faster."

I nodded my head. Silence filled the room, but my head was noisy with all my thoughts, one in particular. It nagged at me and I knew I couldn't silence it until I asked one other question.

"So, do you want to stay friends?" I asked, my voice only a whisper.

"If that's what you want," Jacob replied.

"What do _you_ want?" I asked looking up at him.

"Whatever _you_ want," he said. "Whatever makes _you_ happy."

I shook my head. "No. I want to know what _you_ want. Don't think about me and what I want. What do you want us to be, Jacob?"

He was quiet. He stared into my eyes and slowly pulled me closer. I felt my pulse quicken.

"I want to be with you," he told me in a soft voice. My lips slowly curved into a smile. He tilted my chin up and leaned down to touch his lips to mine. I was more than happy to meet him halfway. My heart hammered against my chest and I felt my knees go weak. I pulled him closer until there was not any space left between us. After a blissful kiss, we both pulled away. The smile was still on my face. He traced his thumb across my cheek.

"You're beautiful," he whispered. I buried my face into his chest and he laughed. I wrapped my arms around him and he did the same to me. He placed a kiss on the top of my head.

"I'm sorry for what I said earlier," I told him.

"It's okay," he said. I tiptoed and planted a small kiss on his lips, making him smile again. "I'm just happy that we're okay, now. I hate when you're upset or mad. It's even worse when it's because of me."

"Well, I'm fine now. Actually, I'm more than fine," I told him. He leaned down again and I readied myself for another kiss. A howl was heard nearby. Jacob ignored it as he kissed me again. I smiled against his lips.

"I could get used to this," I said. A louder howl came from outside. I stepped away from Jacob and made my way to the window. "Who is that?"

"Seth," Jacob told me, joining me at the window. "I told him to patrol for me while I came here to talk to you."

A whimper cut through the air.

"I should go," Jacob said. I nodded. "Good night."

He place one last kiss on my lips then on my forehead before jumping out the window. I watched as he landed perfect on his feet and sprinted off towards the forest.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I have a feeling I'll be busy for the next few months, so I am going to be uploading one chapter a week. So you all can expect a new chapter to come out every Sunday. I have written the next four chapters out already, so I am set and you readers will not have to wait around for me to finish chapters, etc.

On another note, I have a few fanfics in mind that I would like to publish next and I would like to ask you, my lovely readers, for opinions and such. So go to my profile and please take the poll I've put up! Thank you! Until next time!


	15. Chapter 14

**AN: **Since I will be busy this weekend, I decided to upload the following chapter early. A character from the Gates is introduced in this chapter, so obviously the character does not belong to me. Jade, Aunt Corinne, and Conor are mine though.

Keep the reviews coming! I love reading them and hearing your thoughts! If you have any questions you want me to answer, then ask away! I love interacting with my readers! Also, please take the time to answer my poll question! It will help me in deciding which fanfic I should work on next!

Thank you and happy reading!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>CHAPTER FOURTEEN<strong>

After Jacob left the night before, I was able to fall fast asleep with a smile on my face. Needless to say, when I woke up Tuesday morning, Jacob was the first thing I thought about, leading me to smile so early in the morning. I hummed to myself as I showered and got ready for school. I skipped down the stairs and headed to the kitchen.

"Good morning," I said cheerily. Aunt Cor was perched on one of the bar stools behind the island, holding a mug of coffee in her hand.

"Someone's awfully cheery this morning," she said.

"Just a good night," I said.

"Define 'good night'," Aunt Cor said, raising an eyebrow at me.

"I slept well." She kept her eyebrow raised. "What?" She shook her head and smiled.

I took to digging into my cereal, breakfast of champions! When I finished, I dumped the bowl in the sink and grabbed my backpack.

"I'm going now," I said as I made my way towards the front door.

"Jade," I heard Aunt Cor yell. "Next time Jacob wants in, he could use the door!"

I paused in putting my shoes on. I backtracked to the kitchen, one shoe still in my hand the other already on my foot.

"We were just talking!" I said quickly. "I swear! Nothing else happened!"

Aunt Cor gave a laugh. "Okay, Jade, I trust you. And I trust Jacob, too. He's a nice guy, I'm sure Billy raised him right."

"Okay," I said, blushing.

"Now, scram!" I finished putting my other shoe on and headed out to school.

School that day was like any other day, except for the constant comments I had to hear from Matt and his new found friends. There was talk of them retaliating on Jacob, but I shrugged it off. Not only was Jacob a big boy who could handle himself, he was also a giant shape shifter and vampire killer that would have no problem with a gang of immature high school boys. I let Matt talk his talk knowing full well that he couldn't walk the walk.

Several hours later, I was back at home, laying on the couch and watching TV. As usual, my homework was done before school ended and I was left with nothing to do while I waited for Jacob to come off his patrol.

The doorbell rang and I jumped off the couch and skipped to the front door.

I opened the door widely with a smile. The smile slowly faded and I stood in surprise at my unexpected guest.

"Mr. McAllister?" I asked. The dark blond man nodded his head and smiled, showing a set of straight, white teeth.

"Jade," he said. "Nice to see you again."

"Thanks. Uh, come in," I said, remembering my manners. I stepped aside and let Mr. McAllister through. I wrinkled my nose as his strong cologne wafted around me. I began to close the door, but noticed two suited men standing in front of the shiny black Navigator. "Do they-"

"No, they're fine waiting outside," Mr. McAllister said. I nodded and closed the door.

"Uh, would you like anything to drink or eat?"

"No thank you, Jade. This visit is just a quick one."

I nodded and motioned for the living room. He took a seat on the recliner while I opted for the sofa.

"What brings you to little old Forks?" I asked.

"Well, I had business meetings in Seattle. Your parents told me that you were close by and so I decided to see how you were doing," he said, gently. He nodded at me.

"Thanks," I said slowly, not to make of his concern. "I'm doing well. Forks is a small town, but it's a good thing, I think."

"Definitely not like the Gates," he said, chuckling.

"How are my parents? I mean, they always tell me they're fine and everything, but that's over the phone. I have a feeling they're only saying that so I wouldn't worry about them."

"Well, you don't have anything to worry about, Jade," Mr. McAllister told me, crossing his legs. He paused long enough to adjust his perfectly tailored suit. "Business in the Gates is back to its usual. Your father still is working on your brother's disappearance behind Buckley's back. And Simon Ford is no longer the alpha." A smirk spread across his face as he said the last sentence.

"Really? How-"

"The story is that Coach Ross, the football coach, fought him for the alpha position and won. But who knows what really goes on with those mutts." I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "Forgive me. Anyhow, Ross seems to be very eager to aid your father in finding your brother."

"Really?" I asked. My voice was full of surprise. "That's…nice and a little…weird. How is that working out between you two?"

Mr. McAllister bobbed his head side to side as if not knowing what to say.

"Let's just say that, through our differences, we all see how hard it's been on you and your family. Losing a loved one is never easy. Not knowing where they are or how they are is something none of us hope we'd have to go through. But now that we are all working together, we _will_ find your brother, Jade." He placed a hand on mine as if to make his statement stronger. I slowly nodded and he took his hand away.

"You know, to be honest, I kind of wish that you won't." I saw his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. "As much as I miss him and as much as I want him back home, it's been months. I just want to stop hoping to see him come home alive and well, because in the end, if they do happen to find him, he'll be dead anyway." I shocked myself when the words left my mouth. I covered my face as tears prickled my eyes. "That was an awful thing to say. I don't know why-"

"It's okay, Jade," Mr. McAllister said soothingly. "Yes it was an awful thing to say, but I understand where you're coming from. Just don't give up."

"It's too late, Mr. McAllister."

I wiped the tears away. Mr. McAllister looked ready to start another speech when shouting was heard from outside.

"Jade!" I heard Jacob yell.

"Jacob?" I stood up from my spot and ran to the front door with Mr. McAllister behind me. I opened the door and saw Jacob wrestling with the two suited guys from earlier. "Jacob! Stop! What are you doing?"

I started to run towards them, but Mr. McAllister held me back.

"Jonathon! Eric! Stop!" The two suited guys immediately did as they were told. I loosened myself from Mr. McAllister's grip and ran to Jacob before he could lunge at them again. Jacob got up from where he was and met me halfway.

"Jade are you okay?" he asked, his eyes full of concern.

"I'm fine," I told him. I noticed the trembling his body was doing. "Jacob you need to calm down. I'm fine. I'm fine." I hugged him and his trembling diminished only slightly.

"Do you know what they are?" he asked in a low voice.

"Yes," I told him. I felt his body stiffen. I hugged him tighter. "They're the ones who are keeping my parents safe."

"I do apologize for this," Mr. McAllister said, walking towards us. Jacob instinctively guarded me. "I'm Ben McAllister." He stretched out his hand and Jacob only glared at him.

"Uh, this is my boyfriend, Jacob," I said. I held onto Jacob's arm just in case he decided to slug Mr. McAllister across the face or something.

"You certainly do have a type, Jade," Mr. McAllister laughed, amusement twinkling in his eye. I only gave him a small smile. Great now he thinks I have a thing for werewolves, but who could blame him? My last boyfriend was a werewolf and my current boyfriend was some sorts of a werewolf.

"Well, it was nice seeing you Jade and it was…pleasant meeting you, Jacob," Mr. McAllister said, smoothing his suit. "But I have to be on my way. I have a meeting to attend."

"A dinner meeting?" Jacob asked.

Mr. McAllister laughed. "Witty. How charming."

"I'll be in Seattle for the next few days, Jade. If you need anything, anything at all, don't hesitate to call me." He handed me a business card. I took it quickly and put it in my pocket. "Take care of yourself, Jade."

"Mr. McAllister?" I called. He turned back and looked at me. "What I said about Conor…can you not mention it to my parents?"

He nodded then stopped. "How about we keep this meeting between us then? It'll save me from all the question I'm sure your parents will ask."

"Deal."

I waved as the black Navigator drove off. The second the Navigator turned off the street, Jacob pulled me into the house.

"What were you thinking Jade?" he cried once the front door was shut.

"What?" I asked, walking past him and into the living room.

"He's a vampire!"

"I know Jacob. The entire vampire community at the Gates is what is keeping my parents safe from the werewolf community," I told him.

"You were alone with a vampire!" Jacob cried, grabbing me to keep me from walking further.

"He's a good guy Jacob! He is the one who got me out of the Gates and he is the one who is protecting my parents. Not all vampires are bad, you know. Our next door neighbors at the Gates are vampires. They adopted a girl named Emily who is human. They raised her since she was a baby and not once have they been tempted to feed on her."

"But they are blood suckers!"

"Stop it Jacob! Vampire or not Mr. McAllister is a good person! I can't believe how rudely you were acting towards him. I owe him a lot, okay? Without him I'd be worrying myself dead about my parents!" I crossed my arms and refused to look at him. We both were quiet, save for out huffing and puffing from our screaming match. I turned to continue heading into the living and I heard a sigh.

"I'm sorry," he finally said. I stopped and looked back at him. His shoulders were sagging and he was looking down at the ground. I couldn't help but to smile at the sight.

"It's okay," I told him. I moved towards him, ready to jump and give him a hug but he took a big step back. My face fell at his reaction.

"No offense, Jade, but you smell like a leech mixed with bad cologne." I frowned and lifted my shirt to smell myself. Mr. McAllister's cologne stung my nose. How much did that guy put on?

"Okay, I don't know how a leech smells like but I agree with you on the bad cologne. Will you be fine here while I shower?"

"Depends," Jacob said, leaning against the wall and crossing his arms. "If I say no, will you let me wait in your room while you shower?" He wriggled his eyebrows.

"Nice try," I laughed. "You're waiting down here whether you like it or not."

I went to go up the stairs but Jacob caught me and planted a kiss on my lips then quickly backed away.

"Sorry, that's all I can take right now. You really smell," he said, rubbing his nose. I rolled my eyes and sprinted up the stairs. Half an hour later, I was fresh and clean and dressed. I walked downstairs and saw that Jacob wasn't in the living room. I heard the fridge open and I headed towards the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"I got hungry," Jacob told me, his mouth full of food.

"We're going to Emily's for dinner!"

"You've been around me how long and you're still surprised with how much and how often I eat?" I laughed as I grabbed one of the unopened soda cans he held in his hands. He swallowed the bit of food in his mouth then looked at me. I eyed him suspiciously as he smirked.

"What?"

"You told that bloodsucker that I was your boyfriend," he said.

"Of course," I replied casually, even though I could feel the heat on my cheeks. "Unless everything that we talked about last night meant nothing and everything you told me was a lie."

He frowned and made his way around the island to me. He placed an arm one either side of me, trapping me against the island.

"I was teasing," Jacob said before kissing me. I laughed and pushed him off.

"Okay, come on, we should get going to Emily's." I hopped off the barstool. He polished off his sandwich and we headed out to my car to head over to La Push.

Three hours later, I was standing in front of Emily's house ready to head home.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you home?" Jacob asked for the third time.

"Yes, I'm sure. I'll be fine!" I told him.

"Okay, if you insist."

"I do. Besides you have patrol again."

Jacob rolled his eyes. "I know. But if you would let me drive you home, that would shave off maybe thirty minutes off?"

"Then who would be keeping us safe from the big bad vampires?" I teased. Jacob smiled before leaning in to give me a kiss. Our kiss deepened.

"Get a room!" I heard Paul yell from inside the house.

"Leave them alone Paul!" Sam shouted.

"I better get going," I said giving Jacob one last kiss.

"Good night."

I got in my car and waved before driving off. I looked in my rearview mirror and saw Jacob running into the forest. I had no doubt that he'd be running along beside me in the forest. The thought alone was enough to make me feel safe.

I cranked the volume on the radio up. In all honesty, driving alone at night along the long dimly lit road freaked me out. Of course, I didn't want to admit that to Jacob or else he'd insist driving me to and from La Push all the time. Not that I'd mind the extra time with him (as if I didn't spend enough time with him), I just didn't want to keep depending on him.

After reaching the halfway point to Forks, I glanced at my left and then at my right, trying to see if I could catch a glimpse of Jacob in his wolf form. Nothing. I looked back onto the road and began to sing along to the radio. The road began to curve and I slowed down to the posted speed limit. I glanced in my rearview mirror and I saw movement from my peripherals. I flashed on my high beams just as something flashed in front of me. I screamed in surprise as I turned my wheel towards the right. I felt my car hit the side divider and everything seemed to slow down as my car turned over, thrashing my body around. Then everything went black…


	16. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

"_Hello, Jade. I'm sorry for having to do this, but I need to tie up some loose ends and you happen to be one of them."_

I opened my eyes and squinted into the darkness. I couldn't see anything, but I had the eerie feeling that someone was there. I heard footsteps running and I tried to hold onto consciousness but failed. Soon I felt my eyes close.

"_Jade! Are you okay? Jade! I'm gonna get you out of there okay?"_

I felt my body being lifted. Pain shot through every inch of my body.

"_You'll be fine, okay? I'm not gonna lose you_," a far away voice said. "_Just stay with me._"

I saw nothing but darkness as I felt myself black out again.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._

I opened my eyes and saw a man with a pale face in front of me.

"Dylan," I muttered.

"Jade?" The man said. I closed my eyes for a second before opening them again. My eyes finally refocused and the man's face became clearer. "Jade, don't be alarmed. My name is Carlisle Cullen and I'm a doctor down at the Forks hospital. You were in an accident and-"

I instantly sat up. The room started spinning again and I felt like I was tipping over.

"Calm down, Jade. You need to take it easy. You hit your head in your accident," the man told me. I felt something ice cold on my arms.

"Where am I?"

"Jade!" I heard Jacob's voice.

"Cold," I muttered. The coldness was suddenly gone and I felt a warm feeling replace them. Jacob was in front of me now, his hands on my arms to help steady me.

"How are you feeling?"

"My head hurts," I told him.

"I'll get something for that," a woman with long dark hair said.

"Do you remember what happened?" asked the doctor. I think he said his name was Carlisle.

"Uh, I was driving," I told them. I brought my hand up to my head like it was going to help me remember. "I thought I saw something in front of my car. I think I tried not to hit it."

"Did you see what it was?" Jacob asked, urgently. I closed my eyes for a brief second then shook my head.

"I-I don't remember."

"You have a concussion," Dr. Carlisle told me. "You're going to need to take it easy. Jacob if you'd like, you may take her home now unless you'd rather she stay here so I can keep a close eye on her."

"I'll take her home," Jacob said quickly. The doctor nodded.

"Then it's very important that you keep her awake for the next twelve hours. Come back in the morning and I'll see how she's improved." The doctor walked over to a table and picked up a pill bottle. "Here are pain killers for her. She doesn't have anything broken, but she's pretty bruised up and I'm sure her body is going to be sore."

"Anything else?" Jacob asked.

"If she starts getting sleepy or is having a hard time staying awake, bring her back. If she is in excruciating pain, bring her back."

Jacob nodded.

"Jade, any questions?" he asked me.

"Where's my car?"

"Let's just say it's in a lot worst condition than you are," Jacob said lightly.

"Oh no! My dad's gonna kill me!" I said, covering my face. That one action shot pain to my head and my shoulder muscles seemed to spasm. "Ow!"

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked.

"Everything," I replied.

"Here, take some medicine," the doctor said handing me two pills and a cup of water. He closed the pill bottle and handed it to Jacob. "She can take two every four hours and that is it."

Jacob nodded, putting the pills in his pocket. "You ready Jade?"

I nodded after swallowing the two pills with a gulp of water. He gently placed his arm around my back and the other under my legs. He gracefully lifted me up from the bed and I rested my head against his chest, hearing his heart beat.

"Jacob," a female voice said. "You can use my car." I heard the jingling of keys being passed.

"Thanks, Bells."

I closed my eyes.

"Hey, you, no sleeping on me," Jacob said.

"Not sleeping, just resting my eyes."

I smiled as I felt Jacob's laugh vibrate through his chest.

I felt him descend down a flight of stairs. A car door opened and I felt myself being placed inside. I opened my eyes and saw that I was in a very nice and expensive looking car. I looked out of my window and saw a row of other nice and expensive looking cars.

"Where are we?" I asked when Jacob settled into the driver's seat.

"At Dr. Cullen's house."

"Why?"

"It was closer than the hospital," he explained. He turned on the engine and saw the excitement in his eyes as he gripped the steering wheel and revved the engine. "Ready?"

I nodded and Jacob eased the car out of the garage.

"How are you feeling?" Jacob asked once we were on the road.

"Tired."

"You can't sleep."

"I know," I said grumpily. He reached over and took my hand in his. Our fingers intertwined and I marveled at how perfect it felt. I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.

"Do you remember what happened?"

"I thought I saw something and I swerved," I repeated.

"Are you sure you can't think of anything else?"

"Yes," I groaned, pushing myself off his shoulder.

"You didn't see what was in front of you?"

"No, Jacob."

"Was it big? Was it an animal? A person?" He didn't even notice that I was no longer holding his hand.

"You are not helping this headache. You're making it worse," I told him, placing a hand on my head.

"I'm sorry," he said. I saw him grip the steering wheel harder. I placed a hand on his leg.

"It's fine Jacob." His jaw clenched. "Why are you so tense?"

He didn't answer right away. Instead of pushing him to answer, I took his hand in mine again. I massaged small circles with my thumb.

"I thought the worst when I saw your car flipped over like that," he finally said quietly. "I'm supposed to protect you and keep you safe."

"And you did. If you hadn't found me when you did…"

"I should've driven you home. I shouldn't have let you drive." I gave an exasperated sigh.

"Jacob if you keep thinking like that then you'll end up chauffeuring me everywhere!" I cried. "It's nice that you care so much and that you want to protect me and keep me safe, but things happen Jacob. You can't prevent everything, okay?"

He only gave a small nod, not convincing me that he understood. Aunt Corinne ran out of the house as we pulled up.

"Jade! What happened?" she asked immediately. I opened my door, not waiting for Jacob to do it for me. She took me into a hug and I grunted in pain. "What happened?"

"She got into an accident," Jacob said. I gave Jacob a look. How was he going to explain how he found me? "Carlisle looked her over and said she was fine."

I held my breath, waiting for Aunt Corinne to ask questions, one of them being how Jacob got there in the first place.

"Are you sure?" was all she asked, looking at me. "Are you feeling fine, Jade?"

I nodded. "Just a little banged up and tired."

"She has to stay awake until morning," Jacob spoke up. "Carlisle wants us to go back for a follow-up. He gave her some pain-killers though."

Aunt Cor nodded and out an arm around me. "Come on." She looked at Jacob. "I'm guessing you're not going to want to leave her side." Jacob shook his head. "Okay, call your dad and make sure he knows where you're going to be tonight."

Us three walked up the path and into the house. Aunt Corinne helped me get settled on the couch while Jacob phoned his dad. She excused herself when Jacob entered the living room. He took a seat beside me and turned on the TV. He put an arm around and I snuggled in closer. I looked up at him and saw how concentrated he was on the TV.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said automatically. He added a small smile, but I shook my head.

"I don't believe you."

He looked like he was weighing something in his head before turning his body towards me. "Tell me what you remember. Think hard about."

"Okay, I was driving. I kept glancing to the side to see if you were running beside me. I was coming up that one curve on the road when I thought I saw something move along the road. I turned on my high beams and I just saw something on the middle of the road and I swerved. Then blackness."

"That's all?"

I stopped to think. "Uh, well there was a small time when I was conscious. Or somewhat. I heard you when you came. You were saying something to me and then I blacked out again."

"Okay," Jacob sighed as he turned back to the TV.

"Jacob!" I turned his head to face me again. "What is going on?"

He looked hesitant and right when I thought he wouldn't tell me, he blurted it out. "A vampire."

"What?" I asked, blinking at what he just said.

"Sam told me earlier that they picked up a scent. I was running along side you until I smelled it. It was McAllister's."

I nodded. "That makes sense. He was here earlier."

"Yeah, but scents don't linger that long. I didn't think much of it though, until I smelled your scent." My brows scrunched together in confusion. "I followed both scents to the exact spot: your car turned over on the road. When I saw that, I thought the worst. I thought you were…" I rubbed his back to console him. "I had the others trail McAllister's scent while I took care of you." He looked at me again. "I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you, Jade."

I smiled at what he said.

"Is that the imprint talking?" I teased before placing a kiss on his lips. He pulled away.

"Jade, did you hear me? Do you understand that this means?" he asked in serious tone. I only stared and shrugged. I didn't really understand why he was getting all worked up.

He sighed in frustration as Aunt Corinne walked in.

"Here Jade, I made you some tea," she said placing a teacup on the coffee table.

"More magic tea?" I asked. She laughed and stole a glance at Jacob. They shared a brief look and, if I wasn't mistaken Jacob gave her a small nod. "Well, I'll be upstairs calling it a night. Just holler if you two need anything."

Jacob waited until Aunt Cor was out of ear shot.

"Jade, you're not going to like what I'm about to tell you," he told me.

"Then don't tell me."

"I don't want to, but I have a feeling I'm going to need to."

"Then tell me!" I sighed.

"Don't get mad?" I only gave him a look. "Alright. I think I smelled McAllister's scent because he was there."

"Where?"

"At the accident. Actually, I think he was the one who caused it."

I looked at him, processing what he said while he looked on expectantly. Then I laughed. "Don't be ridiculous, Jacob!"

"How am I being ridiculous?" he asked. He had a mad edge on his voice.

"You're wrong!" I cried.

"I _smelled _him. How do you explain that? Don't even say it was from earlier because he was nowhere near your car when he was here."

"Okay, well," I began, racking my brain for an explanation. "Maybe he was there and he was going to help me but you scared him off."

"Or he was there because he was trying to kill you," he put simply.

"Why would he do that? He's the one who's been helping me and my family out! Why would he want to kill me?"

"He's a vampire. Do you really need any other reason?"

"Uh, yeah!"

"He can't be trusted," Jacob offered. "Because he's a vampire."

I rolled my eyes. "So I can't trust the vampire who's protecting my family?"

"Nope."

"But I'm guessing you're all for me trusting the werewolves who killed my brother?"

"What?" Jacob asked in surprised. "Hold on, they finally found your brother?"

"No," I replied just as confused.

"Then why'd you say the werewolves killed your brother?"

I shook my head and shrugged. "He's as good as dead, Jacob. I can't afford to keep thinking that he's still out there alive and well anymore."

"So you're just giving up?" he asked.

"What else am I supposed to do?" I asked him. He looked away. With the way he moved his lips and struggled to get a word out, I knew he didn't know what to say. Instead he pulled me back into his arms again and murmured a sorry.

"It's fine. I just don't want to talk about this anymore," I told him. He nodded. "That includes anything about Mr. McAllister." This he was hesitant to agree to. "I just don't need to hear things like that right now."

Finally he nodded. I went back into snuggling up to him. We stayed like this in peaceful silence, not even paying attention to what was on the TV, but enjoying being close to one another. Eventually I heard Jacob's light snoring. I looked up and saw that he had fallen asleep. I giggled to myself, but made no move to remove myself from him. I debated whether or not to wake him, but he looked so peaceful with his eyes closed. I couldn't help but smile. He was so cute.

I felt butterflies in my stomach at the mere thought that he was my… My what? I mean, it was clear that we both liked each other as more than just friends but we didn't really make it official. But when it came to imprinting, did we really have to? We were each other's soul mates. Being with him just felt so right, now more than ever. I closed my eyes and listened to his rhythmic heartbeat.

"No sleeping," he mumbled. I laughed as I looked up at him. He had one eye slightly opened and a smile was on his lips.

"I thought you fell asleep on me," I said.

"I think I did," he admittedly sheepishly.

"Well, only six more hours to go," I told him. He groaned. "Oh, stop that! At least you got a small power nap in."

"Still not enough."

"Go ahead and sleep then," I said.

"No, no more sleeping. I'm supposed to be watching you," he said, trying to cover a yawn. I laughed again. He picked up the remote and began to flip through the channels, fighting his drooping eyelids.

"I have an idea," I said.

"What?"

"Tell me about yourself." He laughed. "Come on! I mean, think about it. Apart from all this supernatural business, we don't really know much else about one another, right?"

He nodded. "Okay, what do you want to know?"

"Everything," I told him, earning a smile.

"That's gonna take a while."

"Which is why it's a good idea. It'll be enough to tie us over until we have to go back to the doc's house."

Jacob agreed and I was proved wrong. Only an hour into our little tell all game, Jacob's fight with his drooping eyes ended with him succumbing into sleep. I turned back to the TV and was delighted to find a marathon of my favorite show playing.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Please review and don't forget to take my poll!


	17. Chapter 16

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

The following morning, I found myself on the phone with my dad. After the events of last night, Aunt Corinne realized that my parents didn't know about the accident. I argued for her not to tell them, but she claimed she needed to be a responsible guardian and let them know.

"_Why were you driving so late at night anyway?"_

"Dad, it was only eight o'clock. I was coming from a friend's house for dinner."

"_On a school night?"_

"Dad! Look, the important thing is that I'm fine. Just a mild concussion which I am going to get checked out again as soon as I get off the phone with you."

I heard him grumbling to himself. "_Well, how about my car then?"_

"Well…better your car than me, right?"

A sigh was heard. _"Honey we can't afford another car."_

"It's okay, I don't need another car." I felt a hand on my back and a pair of warm lips on my cheek. I gave Jacob a smile as he made his way to the island and grabbed himself some breakfast.

"_Okay,"_ my dad replied, though he didn't sound convinced. _"Well, I'll let you go so you can get that head of yours checked."_

"Okay, love you."

"_I love you too, Jade. Take care."_

I hung up the phone.

"What'd he say?" Aunt Cor asked.

"Typical dad stuff," I told her. I looked at Jacob. "Are you ready? I wanna go and get this over with so I can finally sleep."

He nodded. We said our byes to Aunt Corinne and went out the house. We got into Mercedes and went along our way.

Once we arrived, Dr. Cullen and his wife Esme greeted us warmly. I was led back into the same room I was in the night before. It was a make shift hospital room complete with a hospital bed and all the gizmos and gadgets needed in a hospital room. I took my place upon the bed while Dr. Cullen examined my head and eyes and reflexes.

"So far so good, Jade," Dr. Cullen said. "Everything has been healing nicely and fast, too."

"Yeah, my aunt gave me this tea to drink. I swear it's like magic or something."

A small smile appeared on Dr. Cullen's face causing my mind to go blank. He was way too good looking to be a doctor. "You aunt is Corinne, am I correct?"

I nodded.

"Yes, I've heard that she's some sort of miracle worker when it comes to her herbs and things. Anyhow, other than occasional headaches every now and then, you are looking great. The headaches won't be too bad. They can be remedied with Tylenol and should stop recurring within a week or so."

I nodded again. I didn't know what else to say. Jacob left me earlier during my 'appointment' to speak with Dr. Cullen's son, Edward, who was also as good looking as his adoptive father.

"Jade?"

"Mm?" I didn't know that the doctor had been speaking to me. I scolded myself for admiring the doctor and his son.

"I was wondering if you remembered anything new from last night?"

"Uh," I racked my brain. After Jacob had fallen asleep the second time, I had been left alone in my thoughts all while watching the Vampire Diaries marathon. "Like I said before, I thought I saw something in my rearview mirror. I took a few seconds trying to make it out and when I looked back to the road in front of me, I saw a…blur and I swerved to avoid."

"Nothing new, then?"

"Well, I think that I woke up and I was still in the car. I just saw a pair of legs and a hissing sound." I shrugged. "Then again, I caught an entire marathon of the Vampire Diaries last night, so that might have added to my imagination."

Dr. Cullen laughed. Even his laugh was so beautiful. "Is that the show with the vampires and their special rings."

"Yeah, they're daylight rings that allowed them to walk during the day," I told me. The mentioning of special rings jogged my memory. A flashback of a hand on my car played in my head. A big rectangular ring was place on one of the fingers. I tried to distinguished how much of that flashback was from the show and if it was a part of last night's accident.

"Are you alright, Jade?"

I nodded. He still looked concerned. I gave him a smile. "I'm fine, just wandering what's gonna happen next in Mystic Falls."

The door to the room opened and Edward came in.

"Good morning, Jade," he greeted. I managed to squeak out a 'Morning.' "Jacob had to take off, but he said he'd be back in ten minutes."

I slowly nodded my head. I reminded myself to give him a hard time later. After all, he nearly bit my head off when he found out I was alone with Mr. McAllister but he found it okay to leave me alone in an actual vampire's house.

Edward laughed out of nowhere. I looked at him questioningly.

"Everything okay, Edward?" his dad asked him.

"You know what we are," he stated.

"Yeah," I admitted hesitantly. "Jacob's told me of their legends. It wasn't hard to connect them."

"Yet you're not afraid of us," Edward said.

"Okay, well honestly, I've met vampires before who were just as nice and lovely as you and your family are."

"Thank you, Jade," Dr. Cullen said, beaming with pride.

"Then you may as well meet the rest of the family," Edward said. He looked over at Dr. Cullen. "They're back."

Dr. Cullen helped me off the table and I was led out to the living room. I gasped as I saw a few more people equally as breath takingly beautiful as Edward, Dr. Cullen, and Esme.

"Jade, this is Emmett." A large, well built guy waved at me. He would've been intimidating if it weren't for his nice smile. It gave him a boyish face. "His mate Rosalie." The most beautiful girl of the group looked at me and gave me a small smile. Her eyes sized me up and her arms and legs were crossed making me feel as though I couldn't approach her. "Then we have Jasper and his mate Alice." A guy with a serious look on his face gave me a nod while his mate moved from her position on the couch and went over to give me a hug.

"It's so nice to meet you!" she squealed. "You were most certainly a surprise!"

"Thanks?" I replied uncertainly. I had no idea what she was going on about. She gave me one last smile before going back beside Jasper. Another woman entered the room. She looked familiar then I realized she was the one who handed Jacob the car keys the night before. She had her arm around a young teen's shoulders. The young teen wasn't as pale as the rest of them, but she was still as beautiful.

"Her name is Renesme," Edward told me. "She's very special to us all."

Everyone smiled at what Edward said. I saw Renesme's cheeks turn pink. Are vampires capable of blushing?

"Wait," I said. "Renesme? As in…Seth's Renesme?"

The pink on her cheeks turned deeper.

"The one and the same," the woman beside her answered with a smile

"And last but certainly not least," Edward said, moving towards the woman. "This is my lovely wife, Bella."

It felt as though my entire blood supply froze inside my body. I stared at the brown haired beauty in front of me as her name echoed in my ear. _Bella_. Edward's wife is Bella, the same Bella that Jacob was in love with. She was married to a _vampire_. I studied Bella's face. She was as pale as the others, her hair just as shiny, and her eyes just as gold. Bella was a vampire too! Jacob had been in love with a vampire? Here all along I thought he despised them. Maybe that's why he despised them. He was a shape shifter who was supposed to kill vampires and the girl he was in love with was a vampire and that's why he hated vampires! I felt a headache coming on and I knew it wasn't from the bump on my head.

"Are you alright, Jade?" Dr. Cullen asked.

"Uh…"

"She's fine," Edward answered for me. He focused his attention on me. "To answer your question, Jacob had been in love with the _human_ Bella. It's a long story actually."

One that I probably did not want to hear.

"Yes, it's one that we don't like bringing up," Edward said. "It's in the past anyway."

I nodded then narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you reading my mind?" He smiled. My mind suddenly felt very…exposed. I was in a house of vampires who could probably read my mind. "Can all of you read minds?"

"No, only Edward," Esme told me. "But the others have their own gifts."

"Like what, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Well, Emmett is strong. A lot stronger than the usual vampire. Alice can see the future."

"Of course what I see can change depending on the person's decisions," Alice chimed in. "Also, I can't see anything that happens near the mutts, uh, I mean the shape shifters. Which is why I didn't see you."

I smiled and nodded even though I didn't really get it. Edward stifled a laugh.

"Jasper can feel people's emotions and he can manipulate them as well. Renesme is able to see a person's past with just one touch while Bella can put a shield around her mind as well as other people's minds."

"Really?" I asked amazed. "The vampires I knew never had anything like that. At least they never told me if they did."

The front door swung open. We all turned as Jacob entered the house with Seth in tow.

"Pesky mutt has no manners," Rosalie said. "Ever heard of knocking?"

"Seth told me he doesn't knock," Jacob said. Seth ignored his name and went straight to Renesme scooping her up into a hug. Rosalie rolled her eyes while the others smiled on.

"Jade, you ready to go?" Jacob asked me.

"Jade? When'd you get here?" Seth asked surprised. He glanced around the room at the others.

"It's okay, Seth, she knows," Edward assured him.

"Figured it out did you?" Jacob said smirking.

"I suspected," I shrugged.

"That's always trouble."

"Not in this case," I said, my mind subconsciously thinking about the Gates. I immediately stopped and glanced at Edward. He gave me an apologetic smile. "I think I'm ready to get out of here. No offense, I just feel like my mind's an open book right now."

"We know the feeling," Emmett said. The others grumbled in agreement. I couldn't help but laugh. They were like any other normal family, teasing one another.

"Alright, let's go," Jacob said, grabbing my hand. "Thanks Carlisle."

Dr. Cullen nodded his head.

"Thank you, Dr. Cullen."

"Please call me Carlisle."

I nodded. "Thank you, Carlisle and it was nice meeting all of you!" I rushed the last part out as Jacob pulled me out the door. He sure was in a hurry to get out of there. He led me to the passenger's side of his car. I guess that's where he went off to while I met the Cullen family.

"So, Bella huh?" I said the second he got into the driver's seat. He paused and looked at me.

"Yeah, that's Bella," he finally said as he turned the key.

"She's pretty."

"She's alright," he replied.

"Alright? Are you kidding Jacob? She's freaking beautiful!" I cried.

"She's a vampire." I glanced at him. His eyes were on the road and his hand was relaxed on the steering wheel, his other hand on my leg. He didn't seem to fazed at seeing Bella. I was expecting him to be drooling and looking depressed at seeing his former love but he was doing neither. He looked like his normal self.

"What?" Jacob asked suddenly turning to look at me.

"Nothing," I quickly replied, looking straight ahead.

"She means nothing," he said.

"Is that you or the imprint talking?" I countered bitterly. I regretted the second the words were out my mouth.

"Jade," Jacob sighed.

"I know, I'm sorry," I said looking out the window. He took his hand off my leg and reached for my hand. He gave it a squeeze, but I continued to watch the trees go by.

"You have nothing to be jealous about."

"I am not jealous!" I cried yanking my hand out of his. He gave me a look. I saw the muscles around his mouth twitch like he was trying to hide a smile. I glared at him. "Whatever, Jacob."

His smile broke through and he looked back to the road.

"I don't think you'd be smiling if my ex suddenly showed up out of nowhere," I told.

I saw him clench the steering wheel and I smiled out of satisfaction. He looked over at me.

"He has no reason to show up here," Jacob said. "Right?"

I laughed. "Right. I haven't talked to him since I've moved here."

"That's good to hear." I rolled my eyes. His car pulled to a stop at the front of my house.

"Is that Embry?" I asked as I saw someone emerge from the forest nearby.

"Yeah," Jacob said. I got out of the car just as Jacob did. He went around and I met him at the front of the car.

"Go ahead, Jacob," I told him. "It must be something important. I'll wait for you inside."

He looked at me and then back at Embry.

"Jacob, I'll be fine. I can be left alone for a few minutes, okay?" He finally nodded. He gave me a quick kiss and jogged towards the forest. I watched as they took a few seconds to talk. Jacob looked over at me and gave a final wave before taking of his shirt as he walked further into the woods. I took that as my cue to go inside.

I hummed to myself as I walked up the path way and approached the door. As I put my key in the keyhole, I heard the humming of a car's engine. I looked up and my jaw dropped at the site of a shiny, black car. The windows were tinted all around, so I wasn't able to see who was behind the wheel. Whoever it was, I knew they had to be loaded; the car practically screamed it. I left the key inserted in the door and walked back down the path as the car stopped behind Jacob's truck. The driver side door opened and I wasn't surprised to see none other than Mr. McAllister step out.

"Jade!" he cried, giving me a big smile.

"Mr. McAllister," I greeted closing in on him. My eyes were seemed to be glued to the car behind him.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

I only nodded.

"I heard about your accident," he said. My eyes stopped admiring the car and flew to Mr. McAllister.

"How'd-"

"Your father called me after he got off the phone with you."

"Of course," I said. Leave it to dad to call in someone to make sure I was really okay.

"How are you feeling?"

"Better. Just tired. I had to stay up the entire night since the doctor said I had a mild concussion. But that was it."

"That's good. You were very fortunate," he told me. I nodded. "But I heard your car wasn't so lucky."

"Yeah, Jacob offered to work on it, but it's a lot of work," I said. He smiled his perfect smile.

"Here," he said as he tossed a set of keys in the air. I caught it and looked from him to the keys to the car. "Consider it as a gift."

"What?" I cried. "No! Mr. McAllister I can't accept this." I tossed the keys back to him.

"It would be an insult if you didn't. It's a gorgeous car, Jade, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, but-"

"It's all yours then." He held the keys out in front of me but I didn't take them.

"Mr. McAllister-"

"Jade, your parents have enough on their plate without having to worry about getting you a new car."

"What do you mean? Are they okay?" I asked.

"They're fine Jade," Mr. McAllister reassured me. "It's just that with your dad being demoted and Buckley bringing in a new police chief-"

"Wait, my dad was demoted?"

Mr. McAllister looked surprised. "He didn't tell you? Didn't you just speak with him today?"

"Yes but he didn't mention it."

"Well, I suppose that is something a father wouldn't want his own daughter to hear. If it's any consolation, I think this it just Buckley's way of stopping your dad from doing anything about Conor's case."

"Buckley found out he was working on it unofficially, huh?"

He nodded. "You know, it got me thinking. I think giving up isn't such a bad idea after all."

"What do you mean?"

"Maybe it is time for your parents to just give up the search. It's consuming a lot of their time and energy and it's already cost your father his position as the chief of Gates police."

I nodded, understanding where he was getting at. My father might be getting too obsessed.

"I'll call them tonight and talk with them. I was thinking of telling my dad this morning, but I couldn't bring it up. But now that I know about his demotion, I think this case is affecting him more than he's letting on."

"With that being settled," he said stepping forward. He took my hand and placed the keys in them. "Please, accept this as a gift."

I looked at the car. I wasn't a big fan of cars, but this one was just too gorgeous to turn down. I finally nodded. Mr. McAllister shook my hand. I looked down at the keys and caught a glimpse of Mr. McAllister's hand. My blood turned cold as I saw a black rectangular ring resting around his right ring finger. Flashes of my accident appeared in my mind. Either I didn't imagine what I saw or this was just a really, really big coincidence.

"Everything alright, Jade?" Mr. McAllister asked. He rubbed at his ring before putting his hands in his pockets.

"Uh, yeah," I lied.

He looked up at the house then around us. His eyes lingered at the entrance to the forest.

"Where is that loyal dog of yours?" he asked not bothering to hide the amused tone in his voice. "Nice to see that you've warmed to _them_."

"Jacob isn't a bad guy," I told him.

"Yes, I'm sure he isn't. I may just be biased given what I am and what he is." His eyes flittered to the forest again. "Well, I think I may have overstayed my welcome." The black Navigator from yesterday suddenly rolled up. "It's been a pleasure Jade. Do take care of yourself."

He strode over to the SUV and once he was safely inside, it sped off and out of the neighborhood.

"Jade!" I heard Jacob's voice. He emerged from the forest, shirtless. He looked worried and mad. I sighed, knowing that he probably smelled Mr. McAllister's scent.

My cell phone rang. It was a blocked number.

"Hello?"

"_Jade, it's Mr. McAllister."_

I stiffened. Jacob was still a good distance away and I hoped that it was enough for him to not hear.

"Yes?"

"_I have a little dilemma and I'm hoping it's something you can help me with."_

"Yes, of course, after everything you've done for me and my parents, it's the least I can do.

"_That's great to hear! Well it seems as though I am being followed by a pack of pesky wolves. I can practically smell them and it is not very appealing."_

"I'm sure they just want to make sure you aren't going to do anything." Jacob was only a few feet away. I lowered the call volume.

"_That's understandable, but I'd rather know for certain that I'll be safe from any animal attacks._"

"Who is that?" Jacob asked, once he got near me. His eyes narrowed and his nose suddenly scrunched in disgust. "That leech was here again, wasn't he?"

"_Jade?"_

"Hold on," I said into the phone. "Stay here," I told Jacob. I made my way towards the house and I heard Jacob follow. "No, Jacob, wait outside!" I heard a chuckle come from my cell phone.

"Don't tell me you're talking to that blood sucker!" Jacob cried. I ignored him and made my way to the front door.

"No eavesdropping, Jacob!" I cried as I entered the house. I made my way up the stairs and locked myself in the bathroom. I turned on the faucet and the bathtub, hoping that the water would drown out my phone conversation.

"Were you the one who I saw on the road when I got into my accident?" I asked immediately.

"_What business do I have being on the road? Literally."_

"Were you trying to kill me?"

"_What makes you say that, Jade? Why on earth would I want you dead?"_

"I don't know, but you better tell me the truth if you want me to do something about the wolves tailing you."

"_You're blackmailing me,"_ he said. I gritted my teeth at the amusement in his voice. _"Need I remind you of who is protecting your parents? People, _my_ people are tired of babysitting your parents. I am the head of the coven, Jade. If anything were to happen to me, any promises that I have made would no longer hold true and the next vampire to take my place as head of the coven might not find it important to watch over your parents." _I gulped as the pit of my stomach dropped. _"Think over what I have told you and find a way to control your dogs!"_

I flinched at his demanding tone. I rushed out of my hiding spot and flew down the stairs.

"Jacob!" I cried as I through open the front door. He was admiring my new car. "Jacob!"

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaving the sleek, black car and meeting me halfway.

"What's going on?" I asked

"What do you-"

"Why are the others following McAllister?"

"How'd you know about that?" Jacob asked.

"Because I just got off the phone with him!"

"So you were talking to him," he asked, crossing his arms.

"Yes! You can get mad at me some other time, Jacob, but what the hell? Why are they tailing him?"

"I guess he forgot to mention the two dead hikers he left behind," he replied angrily.

"What? What hikers?"

"Jared found two dead hikers during his patrol. Vampire bites on their necks, all drained of blood. That's why Embry was here. I went over to check it out and that leech's scent was all over it."

"No, it wasn't him! He lives by a code. His entire coven lives by a code!" I was trying to hold on to anything to make me believe that Mr. McAllister was still a good guy.

"Yeah, well his coven is thousands of miles away. They're not going to find out," he told me, holding me by my shoulders.

"What are you going to do?" I asked. I had a feeling I wouldn't like his answer.

"What do you think, Jade?"

"You can't!" I cried. Jacob shook his head. "Seriously, Jacob! You can't! He's protecting my parents!"

"Jade! Think about it!" Jacob yelled. "If he can break his coven's no feeding rule, what makes you think he'll keep his word about keeping your parents safe?"

"I don't know," I admitted. "All I know is that if you kill him, there's an even greater chance that my parents will be in danger!"

Jacob ran his hand through his hair.

"Please, Jacob," I pleaded.

"Jade, he killed two innocent people! We are not going to let him get away with that!" Jacob seemed set on his decision, but all I could think about were my parents. It was all because of me that they were on the Gates' werewolves' hit list. I knew what I had to do, but it was something I wasn't proud of.

"Jacob," I said softly. "Please, don't let them hurt him. Please just let Mr. McAllister go." Jacob opened his mouth to protest but I took a deep breath to muster up my courage for what I was about to say. "Please. For me?" He took one long look at me before sighing out of frustration.

"Fine," he said. Without another word or look at me, he sprinted back into the forest. I sat down on the steps and stared at my new car. I was too wired with all the emotions I was feeling, yet my eyelids were beginning to droop down. I decided to head inside the house before I fell asleep on the steps. After getting inside, I made sure all the doors and windows were locked and secured before plopping down on the couch. I had my cell phone and the house phone sitting on the coffee table just in case Jacob called. I turned the TV on and finally let myself sleep.

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><p><strong>AN:<strong> A day late, but here is the update! What did you think? Please review! I enjoy reading all your comments and questions! Don't forget to take my poll!

Here's a preview for the next chap!

_**Chapter Seventeen Preview**_

_"Do you really think it's right to leave Jacob when he needs you? After everything he did for you?"_

_ "Uh, well, my aunt is probably worrying and wondering where I am right now and I don't think I should be there when you guys drop Jacob off. I doubt Billy or the pack want to see me right now."_

_ Bella shook her head and gracefully walked towards me._

_ "You know what I mean, Jade. You were thinking of leaving Forks, weren't you?" I shook my head. "So that idea didn't cross your mind at all?"_

_ I rolled my eyes. "Does Edward know how annoying that gift of his is? And does he not know the meaning of private thoughts?"_


	18. Chapter 17

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

I slowly opened my eyes. I was feeling groggy and was about to go back to sleep when my eyes caught the clock. It was already two in the afternoon. I sat up and looked around. The house was quiet. I grabbed my cellphone off the coffee table. I unlocked the screen and was disappointed to find no missed calls. The disappointment was soon replaced with panic. It had been four hours since Jacob went off to stop the pack from doing anything to Mr. McAllister. I tried the house phone to see if there had been any messages. No luck either.

I began to punch in the Black's house phone.

"_Hello?"_ came Billy's voice on the other end.

"Hi, Billy. It's Jade. Is Jacob there?"

"_Hello Jade. No, Jacob isn't here. I thought he was with you."_

"He was until he had…stuff to take care of."

"_I'm sure he's fine. How long has he been gone?"_

"Since ten in the morning." I massaged at my temple. I looked up at the sound of a car door slamming. "Well, thanks Billy. I gotta go. I think my aunt is home."

After hanging up the phone I proceeded towards the door. A light knocking was heard just as I rested my hand on the door knob. I peered into the peep hole and saw none other than Alice Cullen. She smiled and waved. I opened the door.

"Alice! Hi!" I greeted.

"Hi, Jade, were you going somewhere?" Alice asked.

"Uh, no," I replied.

"So you weren't going to go out and look for Jake?" she asked, raising an eyebrow and giving me a smile; something I had a feeling only she could pull off.

"It crossed my mind," I admitted. "Why? Did you have one of those visions?"

"No," she replied. "Jacob's at our house and we had a feeling you'd be looking for him."

"Why's he at your house?" I asked. I sensed hesitation from her. "Did something happen? Is he okay?"

"Let's just head over there," Alice said, taking my hand. I closed the door behind me. The drive took all but five minutes with the way Alice drove. She was fast, but careful. I didn't really care. I just wanted to get to Jacob as quickly as possible, especially if something had happened.

As we pulled up to the house, I noticed three figures standing outside. It wasn't until I hopped out the car that I saw the figures were Leah, Quil, and Embry. I felt a cold hand slip into mine again and Alice led me towards the house. I opened my mouth to greet the three but Leah's glare stopped me. I glanced over at Quil and Embry whose heads here bowed down and their eyes trained on the ground. A feeling in my stomach made me squeeze tighter onto Alice's hand. Something was not right.

A scream pierced the tense air and my heart stopped when I recognized the scream belonged to Jacob. I ran inside and saw Edward and Seth along with the rest of the Cullen family.

"What happened?" I asked Seth.

"Jacob ordered us to stop chasing the blood- uh, I mean the vampire, but Sam and his pack wouldn't listen to him. He ended up fighting Sam and Paul jumped in to help Sam…" Seth looked down. My stomach dropped as every awful thought came rushing to my head.

"Is he okay?"

"Don't worry, Jade! Jacob won!" Seth said, giving me a smile. Another scream from Jacob sent me running into the room next door, the same one I was in just hours ago. I clutched onto the door knob as I took in the sight of Jacob writhing in pain on the hospital bed.

"This is what winning looks like?" I cried at Seth who jumped at my tone. The sound of something crunching made me cringe. "Wh-what are you doing?"

"I'm breaking Jacob's bones. He's healing too fast causing some of his bones to grow the wrong way." I stumbled back at what Carlisle told me.

"Don't worry Jade, Carlisle has done this before," Edward said, appearing beside me.

"That doesn't make me feel any better," I muttered.

"Emmett, I need you to help me with this bone."

I covered my mouth, fearing that I would throw up on the Cullen's pristine floor. I ran through the living room and out the front door, gasping in the fresh air.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I looked up as Leah strode towards me. "Look what you did! This is all your fault! If you only let us do what we're supposed to do, Jacob wouldn't be like this!"

"Stop it Leah! You heard what Jacob said! We couldn't hurt the vampire or else Jade's family would be in danger!"

"Who gives a damn? What goes on in her family shouldn't be our pack's concern!" Leah yelled at Seth.

"But she's Jacob's imprint!" Seth shouted back. I wanted to cover my ears.

"Yeah, if Jacob hadn't imprinted on her then this wouldn't have happened!" I felt like I had been slapped. Her words held some truth. She turned her gaze back towards me, but whatever she was yelling didn't go through. I was too busy feeling guilty and blaming myself.

"Leah, quit it!" Embry's voice jolted me out of my guilt trip. "Jacob can't help who he imprints on!"

I felt something cold on my shoulder.

"Come back inside, Jade," Alice told me in her melodic voice. I let her lead me inside and sat down on the edge of the couch. "Jasper, why don't you sit with Jade and I?" Jasper gave me a small smile and took a seat on my other side. I suddenly felt calm and relaxed with his presence. I remembered about his vampire power and gave him a smile to thank him.

"We're finally done," Carlisle announced as he stepped into the living. He turned to me. "Jacob's knocked out with all the pain killers we had to give him. He'll be fine though."

I nodded.

"Here you go, Jade," Alice said, handing me my cell phone. I took it from her and thanked her. The phone vibrated in my hand as it chimed out my ringtone. I looked down and saw a blocked number. I glared at my phone, hoping that somehow it would reach the person on the other end.

"Excuse me," I finally said. I walked out of the living room and ended up in the kitchen. I walked further to get some sort of privacy. I accepted the call and brought the phone to my ear. "What?"

"_Hello to you too dear._" I cringed at sound of Mr. McAllister's voice.

"What do you want?" I asked again.

"_I just wanted to thank you for helping me with the mutt problem I had. Please extend my thanks to that dog of a boyfriend of yours for keeping his little pack mates at bay."_

"Well, I'm glad you're thankful because thanks to you my boyfriend is seriously hurt!"

"_Oh, Jade dear, he'll be fine. Werewolves are supposed to heal faster than humans. Has Brett not taught you anything?"_

"You owe me a lot, McAllister. You would be dead for the second time right now if I hadn't asked Jacob to stop his pack from attacking."

"_I don't owe you anything. Haven't we covered that earlier? If anything, you owe me. Look at everything I've done for you and your family. I even got you a brand new car."_

"I know you were the one who fed off of those hikers. Don't you think your people mind find it a bit ironic that their leader set a rule to not feed when he himself is feeding?"

"_You have nothing and let me tell you why: because you are wrong. Yes we have a rule about feeding and that rule is no feeding _inside _the Gates. Whatever we do out of the Gates is up to us."_

I cursed under my breath and he laughed.

"_No need to be upset, Jade. I understand why you're doing what you're trying to do. So let me make it easy for you. I will leave you alone if you get your dear old dad to finally drop the case."_

"That's all you want?" I asked, doubtful.

"_Yes."_

"Why?"

"_Honestly, we are tired of babysitting the humans. We do have other things going on in our lives and having to take turns being body guards for your parents is just hindering us. If they drop the case, the wolves will ease up and everyone will be happy."_

"Except for me and my family," I pointed out.

"_You already gave up and killed off your brother in your mind, Jade."_

"And how would you know that the wolves would back off? Aren't they upset that I found out their secret?"

"_Well, that's one reason, but another reason was because of your accusations towards them. They're afraid that what you're saying is true and if your father goes on with the case and it does come out that one of their members had something to do with it… Eh, you can figure out the rest."_

I nodded my head when I ran his explanation through my mind. "Fine," I answered. "But if you ever set foot in Forks again, I won't be able to stop the wolves from going after you again."

"_Just do as I ask and I won't have a reason to go back to that pathetic excuse of a town." _I stared at my cell phone as the call ended. Did he just threaten me? If I didn't do as he asked, would he really come back and try to kill me again?

"Are you okay?" I jumped at the sudden interruption. I looked up and saw Bella standing at the door way. She gave an apologetic smile. I straightened myself up before nodding.

"I'm fine." I managed a small smile.

"It's not your fault, Jade," Bella said, making her way towards me. I rested my elbows on the counter and dropped my head onto my hands. I shook my head before looking up at her again.

"Leah was right; Jacob and the pack had no right to help me. Now, Jacob is…he's hurt."

"Trust me, I've put the pack through worse." I gave her a curious look. "It's a long story." I nodded then sighed. I fidgeted with my phone. I felt awkward being in the same room with the girl who Jacob used to be in love with. Add the fact that she was a vampire and so ridiculously beautiful that I questioned what Jacob saw in me. Besides the imprint thing, of course.

"Jacob cares about you a lot," Bella said in a soft voice. This statement made me look at her again."He'd do anything to protect you and make you happy."

"Because I'm his imprint."

"Because whatever makes you happy makes him happy."

"Yeah, well because of me Jacob is in that hospital bed with who knows how many broken bones."

"It'll heal, Jade," she insisted. "Stop blaming yourself. Jacob will forgive you."

Bella suddenly turned around and walked out of the kitchen. Her abrupt behavior caused me to follow her into the living room where everyone was. I caught sight of Seth and Renesme sitting on the floor, their hands entertwined.

"Leah was able to speak to Billy," Edward said. I assumed Bella had heard her husband enter the house. "They're letting us onto La Push again so we can bring Jacob home." He wrapped his arm around Bella's waist. His eyes fell on me. "Carlisle says he'll probably need a couple more hours for his bones to set back to normal."

I nodded.

"That's not nearly fast enough," Rosalie said.

"Rosalie," Carlisle said in warning tone.

"Jade, how are you holding up? You must be tired."

"I'm okay," I lied. The three hour nap I had earlier didn't do me any good.

"Have you slept at all yet?"

"Just a three hour nap. So I'm good." I saw Esme glance at Edward. Before I could even wonder what was going one, Esme clapped her hands together.

"Rosalie, Alice can you two girls please set up the guestroom for Jade?"

"No, I'm fine!" I cried.

Esme shook her head. "You're tired. Don't you dare deny it!" I managed to glare at Edward. He gave an amused smile.

"Okay, I am tired," I admitted. "But you don't need to go through all that trouble. I'm fine with the couch."

"It's a lot more comfortable than it looks!" quipped Seth.

"No, don't be silly. We have a guestroom-"

"Really, the couch is fine. But thank you, Esme," I said. Eventually she nodded her head.

"Okay, everyone out. Let's give Jade some privacy so she can rest up." Everyone began to disperse in different directions.

"I'll wake you up when Jake wakes," Alice told me, giving me a hug. I thanked her and settled on the couch. Seth was right. The couch was really comfortable. My eyes instantly closed and I drifted off to sleep right away.

When I woke up, the lights in the living room were dimmed and I was alone. The house was quiet and it was unsettling especially after the nightmare I had. In my dream, I was running in the forest. I was being chased by a pack of wolves, all ranging in sizes. They growled and snarled, trying to nip and bite at me. Soon the wolves were joined by groups of vampires. Their fangs were out and their eyes were black. The worst part was when Jacob and my parents appeared in the dream. Jacob tried to protect us but was attacked by his own pack, leaving me and my parents vulnerable to the vampires. However, my parents were the targets and I was left alive, watching my parents and Jacob die right in front of me.

I shook my head and rocked back and forth on the couch. It was a horrible dream. Horrible enough to bring tears to my eyes. I stood up from the couch and headed to the adjoining room. I slowly approach Jacob who lay on the hospital bed, asleep. His arms and upper body were bandaged up. His right leg was elevated up. I carefully sat down at the edge of the bed and just watched him sleep.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, leaning down to place a kiss on his forehead. I stroked his cheek and placed another kiss on his lips. Images from my dream flooded my mind and I felt my eyes mist up again. What am I doing? I seriously had no idea. The past few days had been nothing but bad news and it was all because of me. I was stupid and naïve. I trusted that damn vampire McAllister and I ignored everything Jacob warned me about. Then I sent him off against his own friends and because of that he got seriously injured. All of this happened because of me. I quickly, yet carefully, hopped off the bed. I left the room and quietly made my away across the living and towards the door.

"Jade, you're awake." I stopped and turned around just as Bella reached the bottom of the stairs.

"I was just about to leave."

"Do you really think it's right to leave Jacob when he needs you? After everything he did for you?"

"Uh, well, my aunt is probably worrying and wondering where I am right now and I don't think I should be there when you guys drop Jacob off. I doubt Billy or the pack want to see me right now."

Bella shook her head and gracefully walked towards me.

"You know what I mean, Jade. You were thinking of leaving Forks, weren't you?" I shook my head. "So that idea didn't cross your mind at all?"

I rolled my eyes. "Does Edward know how annoying that gift of his is? And does he not know the meaning of private thoughts?"

Bella laughed. "I wouldn't know. I'm the only one whose mind he can't read. It drives him crazy."

"Lucky you," I replied. Her laughter subsided and she motioned towards the couch. I followed her and took my place on one end of the couch.

"You know if you left, it would break his heart." I bowed my head. "He can heal broken bones, but not a broken heart."

"He'll get over it like he did with you," I told her. She shook her head in disagreement.

"It's different and you know it. You're his imprint. You're his everything. If he were to lose you…"

"I know," I sighed. "I just… I can't help but feel responsible for this mess. I mean, he was against letting McAllister go. He wanted to kill him and I asked him not to. He seemed really conflicted but in the end, he did what I wanted. All because of this stupid imprint bull shit!" I let my head fall into my hands.

"Yeah, the guys who imprint tend to be a bit..."

"Whipped!" Emmett's voice boomed from upstairs. Laughter followed.

"I know," I muttered. "And I used that to my advantage."

"You were thinking about your family," Bella reassured me. It wasn't enough. "Why don't you get some more sleep? You only slept for an hour."

I groaned. Time was going by too slow. I wished it would fly by faster so that Jacob would finally heal and we could all move on from this. I waited until Bella left me alone before settling back on the couch. Sleep didn't come to me though. Instead, I admired the interior of the Cullen house. When I felt that I had studied every single detail, I rose from the couch and headed to the room where Jacob was in. I carefully climbed into bed with him and snuggled as close as I deemed safe without hurting him. It was only then that I finally got to sleep soundly.

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><p>Reviews please! As much as I love my JacobxJade pairing, I'm beginning to fade from this story. Your reviews help keep me on track! And don't forget to take my poll!<p> 


	19. Chapter 18

**CHAPTER EIGHTEEN**

"Jade," I heard a voice call softly. Then I felt something cold on my arm. I gasped in surprise and sat up. I heard a small groan and felt the bed shift beside me. I looked over and saw Jacob, eyes still closed but his face grimacing in pain. I turned my head to my other side and saw Edward standing beside the bed. I slowly climbed out of bed, making sure not to disturb Jacob any more. "Carlisle says it's time to bring Jacob back to La Push. If you ride along with us, we can drop you off home afterwards."

"I'd rather not face anyone from La Push," I told him.

"I'll take her home." Edward and I turned towards the door that Alice just came in through.

"Perfect," I replied quickly just in case they changed their minds. "I'll wait outside." I took one last look at Jacob before heading outside.

It was already dark out. The moonlight shined through the trees and the lights from inside the house illuminated the area around it. I heard footsteps behind me.

"You have a lot on your mind."

"Yeah, you would know," I retorted as I turned to face Edward.

"Don't be too hard on yourself. You really had no fault in this."

I scoffed.

"Would you feel better if you hadn't asked Jacob to stop the pack from going after that vampire?"

I quickly shook my head. "He was the head of the coven. If he died, another leader would have been selected and they could've literally just fed my parents to the dogs." Edward chuckled. "Don't tell Jacob I said that," I added, giving him a smile.

"Then there you go, if you hadn't asked Jacob to do what he did, you would've lost your parents. As for Jacob, his wounds and bones will heal. I know for a fact he doesn't blame you for anything."

"But the others do."

"I can't deny that," Edward nodded. "But a few of them, those who've imprinted, understand Jacob's desire to do anything for you. They'll come to forgive you soon enough, Jade."

"And this is my cue," Alice's voice said from behind us. "You ready to go home Jade?"

"Yes, please, I just want a full night's sleep."

When I got home, my wish for a full night's sleep was deterred by Aunt Corinne's questioning.

"Are you okay?" she asked right away. I only nodded. "I heard about Jacob. Is he okay?"

I began to nod then stopped. I felt the tears come to my eyes and I finally let them fall. Crying in front of Aunt Cor was something I wasn't ashamed of.

"No," I sobbed as Aunt Cor swept me into a hug. "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have-" I caught myself.

"Shh, no it's not Jade," Aunt Cor reassured me. "Accidents happen." So that was the cover story, that Jacob had gotten into an accident. I made a mental note to stick with it. "Nothing to cry over. I'm sure Jacob will bounce back soon enough."

Her wanting to stop me from crying only made me cry harder.

"Why don't you get ready for bed? I'll fix you up something warm to drink to help you sleep." I nodded and went on my way to my room. Once in my room, I made my way onto my bed, only stopping long enough to kick off my shoes. I curled under my blanket and stared blankly at the wall. It wasn't long until Aunt Cor made her presence in my room, a mug of tea in her hand. I took it without a word and sipped on the tea. Aunt Cor bid me good night and left me on my own. After finishing my tea, I set it down on my night stand and found myself standing and approaching my window. I looked out, longing and wishing to somehow find Jacob in his wolf form, standing at the edge of the forest. I felt more tears come to my eyes. I had an empty feeling and I was hurting, emotionally. I had a strong urge to be beside Jacob, to lay next to him, to have his hot skin against mine. I closed my eyes. I opened them and was disappointed in what I did not see. I sighed and went back to my bed. As soon as my head hit the pillow, my eyes slowly closed and a deep sleep finally came to me.

The following day, I woke up to my usual weekday alarm. I felt well rested and had no trouble getting up and getting ready for school. The smell of pancakes filled my nose as I descended the stairs.

"You made pancakes?" I asked as I entered the kitchen. Aunt Cor turned around from her place on the stove.

"You're going to school?"

"Yeah," I replied.

"Why? I can get you out of school if you'd like. I told Astrid to watch the store and take a half day so I can stay home with you."

"No thanks Aunt Cor. I think it's best if I just go to school and just be around my friends."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes," I sighed. Aunt Cor seemed surprised and eventually nodded. I grabbed a quick breakfast before heading out to school. As I pulled into the parking lot, I noticed that all eyes were on me. I suddenly felt self conscious as I eased my new car into my usual parking spot. Random students slowly made their way towards my car. I quickly got out.

"Jade! What the hell is this?" Shaun asked. My friends approached me, all eyeing my car.

"Uh, present," I replied. "It's a long story."

"Where were you yesterday?" Aimee asked.

"That's another long story." I noticed the small crowd that gathered around us. "Uh, I'll see you guys later." I made my way through the crowd. I heard whispers and felt eyes on me. I crossed my arms and focused on the ground as I continued to walk into the school. I arrived at my locker and got the supplies I needed.

"Nice car," someone said from behind me. I rolled my eyes as Matt leaned against the locker beside me. "I'm guessing you finally dumped that giant freak and got someone with real class?"

"No, I'm still very much with Jacob," I told him. I slammed my locker shut and made my way around him.

"I don't know what you see in him," I heard Matt call after me. I ignored him and headed to my class.

For the first time since being in Forks, it seemed like the school day dragged on. Everyone was buzzing about the car and rumors were spreading of how and where I got it from. When my new car wasn't the topic of conversation, it was about the two dead hikers that were found. I tried my best to tune it out, but when lunch came around, it was not an easy task to do.

"They were saying it was another animal attack," I heard Sandra say as I approached our usual table.

"Hey Jade," Jennifer greeted. She was the only one. Everyone else was too caught up in what Sandra was saying.

"Did you hear about the-"

"Hikers?"

"Scary isn't it?" Jennifer asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, no wonder my aunt always warned me about the forest."

"They said it was a wolf," I heard TJ say.

"What?" I asked. "Who said that?"

"It's just a rumor," Aimee told me. I quickly nodded and settled on focusing on my lunch.

I half listened to my friends discussing theories on what kind of animal attacked the hikers. It was kind of amusing knowing the things that I knew. To me, their theories were laughable. It was then I realized how different my life was. Here I was completely in the know about werewolves and vampires, laughing at my friends' theories of giant wolves or highly intelligent bears, when in reality, I was the odd girl out. If I ever brought up werewolves or vampires, I'd surely be sent to a mental hospital. I thought about how different my life would be if I had never known about the supernatural. Maybe I'd still be at the Gates, still searching for Conor not here in Forks, completely giving up on finding him. I'd probably still be with Brett and not with Jacob. Maybe things between Brett and I would've been perfect. I stopped at that thought. Thinking about me being with someone else made me feel like I was cheating on Jacob.

"Are you alright Jade? You've been quiet."

"Just tired," I told them. I still didn't tell them about my accident. They didn't need to know and thankfully, Chief Swan kept it under wraps. My quietness was soon forgotten as my friends returned to their conversation about the hikers. I didn't need to hear anymore. I excused myself and threw my lunch away. I made my way to the bathroom and pulled out my cellphone.

"_Jade, honey, is everything okay?"_

"Uh, yeah, I-I was just wondering if that offer to get me out of school is still up?"

"_Of course sweetie, I'll be there in half an hour."_

"Half an hour? I thought you were staying home today?" As the words left my mouth I realized that she was at La Push.

"_Well,-"_

"You know what? It's fine. School's over in a few hours anyway."

"_No, it's okay, Jade."_

"Aunt Cor, it's fine. I'll see you later." I hung up before she could argue with me. The bell sounded for the end of lunch and I made my way to my class.

After enduring three and a half more hours of gossip, I booked out of my last class the second the bell rang. I didn't even bother stopping by my locker. I headed to my car and drove out of the parking lot before anyone else could stop and stare at me.

Once I got home, Aunt Cor's Rav 4 was on the driveway. I cut the engine off and made my way inside.

"Jade?" Aunt Cor called from the kitchen. Where else?

"Yeah," I replied. She appeared in the hallway.

"How was school? You feeling any better?"

I shrugged. I stayed in my spot, my feet not wanting to move and my mouth wanting to move to ask about Jacob. Yet, my mind seemed to cut off all signals that allowed me to talk. Aunt Cor stared as an internal battle waged inside of me. Eventually, my feet started moving and I was headed up the stairs.

"Jacob's doing better."

I stopped on the third step and slowly turned around. I crossed my arms and looked down.

"That's good to hear." I had so much more to ask but decided against it. "Well, I've got homework to do so…"

Aunt Corinne only nodded and returned to the kitchen.

I sighed and reprimanded myself. I got to my room and didn't even bother to do what I told Aunt Cor I was going to do. I threw my bag to the side and curled up in my bed. It was only then when I realized how tired I was. I didn't know how I was able to stay awake in school because within seconds sleep was already overcoming me.

The next morning, I woke up with my head pounding. Looking at the clock I realized that it was because of sleeping for too long. I got ready for school. I still got stares as I rolled into the parking lot, but thankfully all the talk about me and my new car as well as the dead hikers dropped down. Instead, I found myself thinking about Jacob. I still hadn't talked or seen him since that night. I wasn't sure if I should be the first one to reach out to him. He had to be angry at me, I knew Leah was that's for sure.

After making it through another day of school, I finally arrived at home. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders. I stayed in my car, head back and eyes closed. It felt weird being in the car that McAllister had given to me. I groaned, wanting to punch something out of frustration. He had me under his thumb and he knew it. I still hadn't done what he asked of me and two days had already passed. Finally I picked up my cell phone and punched in my dad's number.

"_Hi sweetheart,"_ my dad greeted cheerfully. _"How are you? I called last night but your aunt said you were already asleep."_

"Yeah, the last couple of days have been…crazy."

"_Everything okay?"_

"Yeah, of course," I told him.

"_Well, can we pick this conversation up later? I have a meeting to get to."_

I nodded, ready to agree but changed my mind last minute. "Actually, I just have something really important to talk to you about."

There was a pause on the other end. _"Alright, I can spare a few minutes. Mr. McAllister isn't really a patient man."_

"McAllister? You're meeting with him?" I began to panic.

"_Yeah, apparently he and his…people have something to discuss-"_

"Dad, drop Conor's case."

"_Excuse me?"_

"It's useless. It's hopeless. We both know that Conor's dead and you're just wast-"

"_Where is this coming from Jade? Why would you ask me to give up on your brother?"_

"Because! It's been months dad! You are wasting your time. We need to just end this searching and hoping and just move on!"

Silence.

"Dad?"

"_He is my son, Jade. He's your brother. I would never give up on my family and frankly, I'm disappointed that you have."_

"Dad, just think about it. Think about mom. How is she handling this case being dragged out like this with no leads?" I heard him sigh.

"_I can't just give up on him, Jade."_

"I know, dad. Just think about it." Another sigh came from his end.

"_I gotta go, sweetie. I'll talk to you later."_

I said my bye before he could hang up on me. I hoped that it was enough to get him to stop so then I didn't have to worry about McAllister anymore. I glanced around the car. I felt weird being in a car that was given to me by a potential enemy. With that thought, I jumped out the car. I grabbed my bag and after locking the car, I made my way up to the house. Ideas of what I could do with the car filled my head. I could sell it, then again I doubt anyone here in Forks could even afford it. There were the Cullens, but they already had a garage full of their own expensive cars. I could always give it away, then I would be left without a car or money to buy a new car. Then I'd have to bother my parents to buy me a new car. I really needed to get a job and help my parents out in that department.

The sound of a motorcycle brought me out of the thoughts. I quickly turned and my heart skipped a beat at the sight of Jacob riding up in his motorcycle. I continued to stare as he came to a stop and hopped off. He flashed me a smile and walked towards me.

"Jacob!" I finally said. "Wh-what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be resting?"

He laughed. "I'm fine. Bones are healed and everything. I'm back to being 100% healthy." He smiled at me again. "How are you feeling?" He was now standing in front of me. We were eye level since I was stopped on the second step.

"I-I'm okay," I managed to say. "Actually, I'm a lot better now that I know that you're okay." I gave him a small smile. For the first time in a long time, awkward tension filled the silence between us.

"Come here," he finally said as he pulled me close and enveloped me in a hug. My arms felt stiff as I hugged him back. He pulled away, his hand finding mine.

"You up for a ride?" he asked nodding towards his motorcycle.

"Uh, yeah. Let me just put my things away." I quickly opened the front door of the house and set my bag on the floor, before locking it back up. I took my usual place in front of Jacob and he put his arms around me to get to the handlebars. Soon we were on the road, heading to First Beach.

My stomach knotted up when I saw the La Push boys and Leah hanging around the beach. I couldn't face them. It was already hard enough seeing Jacob again after all the problems I caused. As though reading my mind, Jacob continued to steer the motorcycle along the road, getting further and further away from his friends. I realized that he was going towards the same place he brought me to the first time I rode on his motorcycle.

Once we were stopped, I waited for him to get off before getting off myself. I began to walk towards the shore when Jacob took hold of my hand. I turned around to face him and he gently pulled me into another hug. Slowly, I hugged him back.

"Are you sure you're okay?" I heard him ask.

"Yeah," I answered into his chest. I felt a hand cup my cheek and soon my head was tilted up so that his eyes met mine.

"Jade," he began. "Talk to me." I sighed then offered him a small smile. I took a step away from him and pulled him along. We found ourselves a place to sit to look out into the ocean. After a few minutes of watching the waves, I finally found the courage to speak.

"I'm sorry," I told him.

"You have nothing to apologize for," Jacob answered immediately. "I heard what Leah said and I-"

"She was right," I interrupted him. "What I did was wrong. I shouldn't have asked you to get involve."

He shook his head. "As long as it has anything to do with you, I am and will always be involved."

"Jacob, you-"

"Jade, I-" he stopped and looked away. "I…care about you."

"I know and I care about you too," I told him. "And I'm just really sorry for getting you hurt and for not listening to you about McAllister. You were right about him. I trusted him. My family trusted him. I mean, he was a good guy, but now…I don't know. Something changed to make him act like this. He claims that all he wants is for my dad to drop my brother's case so that the vampires wouldn't have to protect my family anymore and that the werewolves will be happy. It doesn't make sense."

"Do you think there's something more to it?" Jacob asked.

"If there is then I have no idea what it'd be."

"I have an idea," he told me. I turned my body to him, giving him my full attention.

"What?"

"Ever consider that maybe you've been blaming the wrong people all along? That maybe it wasn't the werewolves, but the vampires who had something to do with your brother's disappearance?"

I thought about then shook my head.

"Conor had no idea about the wolves and the vampires. Sure he hung around with the werewolves, but I'm pretty sure they didn't reveal their secret to him."

"Jade!" the sound of Seth's voice stopped our conversation. I smiled but my smile faltered when I saw the rest of the pack walking behind Seth.

"Come on," Jacob said, standing up and offering his hand. I was hesitant in taking it. When I did, he pulled me up and I grabbed onto his arm and hid halfway behind him. "What's wrong?"

"They probably hate me," I told him in a low voice.

"They don't." He took my hand and led me towards the group.

"Hi Jade," Quil greeted. "How are you? The last couple of days have been rough huh?"

I nodded. "Yeah, but I'm fine now."

"That's great to hear," Sam said, giving me a sincere smile. "We're glad that you're okay."

"Thanks," I told him. "I'm really sorry for all the trouble with McAllister and everything." Jacob gave my hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Don't worry about it, Jade," Jared spoke. "It's not your fault that leech was here in the first place. Besides you already know fights break out between us wolves. It's no biggie!"

"Speak for yourself," I heard Paul growl.

"Don't mind him," Jacob told me. "Rachel kicked him out after she heard about our little fight."

"I'm sorry," I told Paul. He gave me a nod.

"Don't be," Jared said. "We all know she's gonna give in sooner or later. I'm betting by tonight he'll be back at the Black house."

"You think so?" Paul asked, sounding hopeful. I bit my lip to keep from laughing. I was not used to seeing temperamental Paul like this, like a fool in love.

"So, I heard you got a new set of wheels," Embry said.

"Yeah," I shrugged.

"Speaking of your new car," Jacob began. "Sam and I were talking and we'd feel better if we searched your car to make sure it hasn't been tampered with."

"I thought Sam wanted her to get rid of it," Seth said.

"I did," Sam told me.

"Well, I was thinking of selling it or giving it to the Cullens or something."

"How about me?" Embry cried.

"Get real, Embry," Jacob said.

"Jake, you only want her to keep it so you can drive it for her," Embry countered.

I looked at Jacob who gave me a smirk.

"Alright, well, you guys sort that out, I guess," I told them. "Do what you need with it. I've driven it twice and so far so good. But it still feels weird driving a car given to me by someone who was trying to kill me."

"I'll take a look at it," Jacob said, his smirk now a full smile. He looked like a kid who was rewarded a whole candy shop.

"Well, it was nice seeing you guys," I said. "But I need to get going. I have homework."

The pack nodded. Seth and Quil both gave me a hug before walking off with the others.

"You sure you can't stay longer?" Jacob asked as we headed back to his motorcycle.

"Yeah, I missed a day of school. So I have work to catch up on. Not to mention midterms to study for."

He nodded and motioned for me to hop on. I did just that and we were on our way back to my house. As usual Jacob walked me to the door.

"Uh, let me give you the keys to the car," I told him.

"You don't have to give it to me now."

"It's fine. It's the weekend, I won't need it to get to school or anything." I took off the car key from my keychain and handed it to him. "If I need to get somewhere I can always use Aunt Cor's car."

"Or you can call me," Jacob reminded me with a smile.

"Yeah, or that," I said. "But I doubt I'd need to go anywhere. I have a lot of school work to do."

"Can you spare a few hours to hang out or something? The girls have been asking when they'll see you again."

I bit my lip and shook my head. "I wish I could, but like I said, I just have a lot to do."

"Oh okay," Jacob replied. I ignored the slight pain I felt in my chest when I saw how disappointed he looked.

"Well, thanks again for the ride, Jacob."

"You're welcome," he replied. He leaned in and his lips touched mine. I allowed myself to enjoy the moment of having his lips on mine. It was only then I was reassured that everything was alright. Jacob wasn't mad at me and didn't blame me for what happened to him. His pack and the other pack were also the same. I wrapped my arms around him and squeezed him tightly.

"I'm really glad you're okay," I told him. We pulled away and gazed into one another's eyes. I leaned in for another quick kiss. "Good night."

"Good night," he replied. I gave one last peck before turning and walking towards the door.

"Oh, Jacob?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't wreck my car. Even though it came from McAllister, I'd still like to keep it."

He smiled then nodded. I opened the front door, but turned again to watch Jacob sprint towards my car. He disalarmed it and gave one final wave before hopping into the driver's seat. The engine purred to life and he revved the engine. Then he took off, driving way beyond the posted speed limit. I smiled and shook my head and finally went inside.

"Jade?"

"Yes, it's me," I replied.

"Where were you?" Aunt Cor asked from the living room.

"With Jacob. We just went to the beach for a bit."

"Oh, well, your dad called. He said to call him back ASAP!"

"I'll call him now then." I made my way to the kitchen and dialed my dad's number.

"_Hello?"_

"Hi, mom."

"_Hi sweetie. How are you? Is your head still hurting?"_

"No, I'm good. How are you? I miss you."

"_I miss you too sweetie," _she sighed. I knew something was wrong. Before I could ask she began to talk again. _"Your father told me what you two talked about earlier."_

"Oh?" was all I could say.

"_I…I agree with you, sweetie._"

"You do?"

"_Yes, but obviously your father doesn't feel the same. I've already talked to the new chief of police and he's agreed to speak with your father about giving up Conor's case._"

"Does dad know you did this?"

"_He will soon enough."_

"I'm sorry, Mom."

"_Don't be, Jade. It is time for us to move on. I'm just glad we got you out of here when we did. Anyway, I don't want you worrying about this. I'll handle it okay? I want you to just live your life and not dwell on this okay?"_

"Yeah, of course Mom. Is dad there? Aunt Cor said he called earlier and wanted me to call him back."

"_He's out. Probably went to the bar with Coach Ross."_

"When did they get all buddy-buddy?"

"_Who knows? Coach Ross isn't a bad guy, Jade."_

"I don't really know him except for what Brett told me, so I wouldn't know."

"_Speaking of Brett, I ran into him today. He was asking about you. Don't you keep in touch with him?"_

I groaned. "No mom. I don't keep in touch with anyone from there."

"_Shame, he was a nice boy. Just because he was different, Jade, doesn't mean he's a monster…"_

I sighed. "I met someone else."

"_Really? And why am I just hearing about this now?"_

"Because we were just friends and this past week we just got…closer."

"_What's his name?"_

"Jacob."

"_Well, tell me about him!"_

I spent the remainder of my night talking with my mom, telling her everything I could about Jacob and our budding romance. Of course I omitted the fact that he was a werewolf. That was a tidbit she didn't need to know. After getting off the phone, I felt happy and grateful for my girl talk with my mom. It was something we used to do before. Every once in a while, my mom would come into my room and we'd spend hours just talking as if we were best friends. We talked about everything from boys to celebrities to fashion. Of course this was all once upon a time, when our lives were 'normal.' All before I ever learned about werewolves and vampires.

Normal. I forgot how being normal felt like. I forgot how life was before I ever had to worry about vampires and werewolves. I thought back to my life right before I ever found out about werewolves. I was like every other teenage girl. I had a boyfriend who was on the football team and the wrestling team. I was in track and did cheerleading. I went out on dates with my boyfriend and when I wasn't spending time with him, I was spending time with my family or doing school work. All normal teenage stuff.

I missed it. I missed everything about being normal. I want to be able to do track again and to run without being told to stay out of the woods. I want to be able to go where I want and with who I want, when I want without Jacob or anyone from the pack trying to keep eyes on me because a vampire was on the loose. I want to forget everything about werewolves and vampires and anything else supernatural.

And that's what I'll do. Well, maybe not the forgetting everything supernatural part, but other than that, I'm going to go back to being normal. Spring break is around the corner and it'll be a perfect time to spend with my normal, high school friends. I'm sure Jacob will understand.

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: Thank you for all of your wonderful reviews! I do apologize for my late updating! I hope you are all still enjoying the story! I think we are halfway (or close to it) through the story; it all just depends how I separate the chapters. Since I'm already halfway, I am already thinking of what my next fanfic should be. I have plenty of Twilight fanfics (mostly of the wolfpack) but I also have some for The Vampire Diaries, Charmed, and Harry Potter. Which other fanfics (aside from Twilight) do you all enjoy reading? What should my next fanfic be?


	20. Chapter 19

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

"_So I said yes."_

"Finally!" I cried over the phone to Jennifer. "It's about time you two make it official."

"_That's what everyone's been telling me. I can't believe TJ and I are finally officially together!"_ I smiled at my friends obvious excitement. It was clear to everyone that she was head over heels for TJ and he for her. _"So enough about me. What about you?"_

"What do you mean?"

"_You and Jacob."_

"What about us?" I sighed.

"_Are you two together still? Were you two ever together? You two are so confusing!"_

"We are together," I told her. I dropped my phone at the sound of her high pitched squeal.

"_Since when?"_

"A couple of days after the dance, I guess we sort of made it official."

"_And why am I just hearing about it now?"_

"I don't know. We like to keep our relationship lowkey?"

"_Okay, I'll let it slide. Now give me details!"_

I rolled my eyes but smiled. "Not much to say. He took me to his little secret place that overlooked the ocean-"

"_How romantic!"_

"We hung out and just talked there all day and when he dropped me off at home, I kissed him."

"_Wait, _you _kissed_ him? _Gutsy! Then what?"_

"Then…that's it." I couldn't mention the fact that we had a little misunderstanding over a little thing called imprinting.

"_That's it?" _she sounded disappointed.

"Yup." I flipped the page of my history book. I was a multitasker.

"_Hmm…"_

"What? What was that 'hmmm'?"

"_Nothing. It's just-"_

A thudding sound came from my window.

"_-problems with Jacob?"_

"Huh?" I brought my attention back to my friend on the phone. "Uh, listen Jen, let me call you back."

"_It's fine, TJ's on the other line anyway. I'll see you tomorrow? Aimee and Sandra are gonna want to know about you and Jacob!"_

"I know. I'll see you tomorrow." I clicked off the phone and tossed it aside. I got up from my bed and opened the window, quickly stepping aside as Jacob made his way through. "You know, you could just use the front door. Aunt Cor has no problem with you coming over, she's crazy about you," I told him making my way back to my bed.

"At least someone is," was his reply. I turned to face him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You've been avoiding me."

"No, I haven't," I sighed tossing my school books aside. I knew I was going to get anything done that night.

"Your whole spring break, I've only seen you twice. One of those times was because Sue invited you and Corinne over for dinner." I sat on my bed and finally dared to really look at him. His brown eyes were sad, confused, hurt.

"I'm not avoiding you," I told him. "I just… I just needed to keep myself busy."

"From me."

"From you, from your friends, from the Cullens. Just…everything and everyone…supernatural."

"Okay," Jacob nodded. His tone made it obvious he still had questions.

"Jacob, look, what happened last week, it freaked me out. Getting into that accident, having McAllister come around, and you getting hurt. I still feel guilty over that."

"I'm fine!" Jacob cried, his voice pleading me to believe him.

"I know you're fine," I said getting up. I began to pace my room. I ran my hands through my hair, not knowing how to explain my feelings without hurting him. I finally stopped in front of him. "I am not okay with what happened. I never realized how serious and dangerous your job being a…shape shifter was. I never realized how much it affected everyone involved and I don't know if I can handle that."

Jacob seemed to crumble down and sat on my bed, his head in his hands.

"Don't tell me you're doing what I think you're doing," he muttered.

"Jacob, I just need time to get used to all this, to adjust. That way, the next time you're out with your pack chasing vampires, I know how to handle it and not get sick with worry about you."

"Wait," he quickly raised his head to look at me. "You're not breaking up with me?"

"What? No!" I exclaimed sitting next to him. "I'm just saying that last week was too much out of the ordinary drama for me and I just wanted to distance myself from that. I want to go back to being as normal as I possibly can, like before I ever found out about vampires and werewolves."

He nodded. "The less you know, the better?"

I nodded. "Precisely. So, no more vampire and werewolf talk, okay?"

He didn't look ready to agree. I sighed.

"Unless I'm in real potential danger," I added. He still didn't look willing to agree. "Jacob, please? Just give me some kind of...normalcy?"

He closed his eyes then slowly nodded. I reached over and wrapped my arms around. I placed a kiss on his jawline before he hugged me back. A knock from my door brought us apart.

"Jacob it's getting late!" Aunt Cor said in a singing voice.

"I was just about to head out," Jacob called out to her. He turned to me and I gave him a smile. He didn't return it.

"Jacob-"

"I'll do it," he told me. "I'll respect what you want Jade."

"Thank you," I replied, giving him another kiss. "It'll be just like before I found out about all this shape shifter business."

"And before that leech tried to kill you."

I sighed and gave him a look.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Then he straightened up. "If I'm not allowed to talk about werewolves and vampires then you're not allowed to either."

I nodded. "I know. Trust me, I think I'm done dealing with McAllister. I did what he wanted me to do and I got my dad to finally drop the case."

"How'd that go?"

I shrugged. "He told me he was disappointed in me for giving up on my own brother."

Jacob reached for my hand and gave it a squeeze.

"Well, you better go before Aunt Cor comes back," I told him. I stood up and walked towards my window. He followed suit and gave me one long kiss.

"So, am I gonna be seeing you more often now?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, but I'm pretty busy this week. The girls convinced me to try out for cheerleading and they're having some kind of spring training this week." He frowned. "But, this weekend I'm all yours."

"Promise?"

"Promise." I gave him one last kiss before urging him out the window. He jumped out and landed gracefully on the ground below. He gave one final wave before jogging in the forest.

The rest of the week passed by quickly. My days had been filled with school, spring training, and staying on top of my school work. I was glad about my busy schedule. It gave me a lot to keep my mind occupied, especially with a certain phone call I received in the middle of the week. However, it was all forgotten by the time Friday rolled around. Since it was the last day of spring training for the cheerleaders, we were released early to enjoy our weekend. After changing and grabbing my belongings, I was on my way down to the parking lot with the other girls on the cheer squad.

"Wow, that's a sight I'd love to see every day," Sandra said. I looked to where her eyes were glued and couldn't help but smile. Jacob, dressed in faded jeans and his usual black v-neck tee was leaning against my car. His arms were crossed and I felt his eyes on me. A blush crept up to my cheeks as he gave me his heart melting smile.

"Is that your boyfriend?" asked Cassie, one of the cheerleaders that I had just met that week.

"Yeah," I replied.

"He's hot! Does he have any brothers?" I could've sworn I saw Jacob laugh to himself.

"No, but he has friends," Sandra answered for me. I rolled my eyes.

"I'll see you guys next week." I gave them a wave as I made my way towards Jacob.

"This is a surprise," I said as he pushed himself off my car. He responded by picking me up in his arms and spinning me around.

"I missed you!" I laughed.

"Okay, I missed you too! Now put me down!" Once my feet touched the ground, I felt his warm lips on mine. Whistles and cheering were heard. Jacob and I broke apart and looked over at where my friends were. They were still in the same spot as I left them.

"I said I'll see you guys next week!" I yelled at them. They laughed and finally went their separate ways.

"Hi Jacob!" I heard Sandra call out. Jacob gave her a wave.

"I think she likes me," he said with a smirk.

"Don't flatter yourself, she likes all the guys."

He laughed.

"Alright where are your keys? We gotta get going!"

I fished my keys out from my backpack. "Where are we going?"

"Camping at the beach," he replied with a smile. "Everyone's gonna be there. So we need to swing by your house so you can get your stuff and meet them at First Beach."

He held his hand out, waiting for me to drop the keys.

"My car so I drive." He gave me pout that made me laugh. I rolled my eyes and tossed the keys at him. He walked me to the passenger's side and opened the door for me. It didn't take long for him to hop into the driver's seat and start the engine. I smiled as his eyes lit up when the engine roared to life. He looked over at me with the biggest smile before screeching out of the parking lot.

Once we got to the beach, we were greeted by everyone. The couples were all lounging and cuddling while Brady, Collin, and Embry tossed around a football. Quil and Leah were off to the side, one looking sad while the other had the usual scowl on their face.

Jacob took my hand and led me to where the other couples were.

"Jake's here!" Brady cried.

"Now it's even! Four on four!" Collin added.

"You guys up for a game?" Embry asked. The guys quickly agreed, leaving the girls to soak in the sun.

"Are you guys going in the water?" Rachel asked. Emily shook her head while Kim shrugged. Rachel turned to me.

"How is it?" I asked. "If it's cold then no."

"Come on, it's not so bad! It'll be cold at first but you'll get used to it!" Rachel cried. She jumped up and began to strip down to her bathing suit. I shook of my shorts but opted to keep my tank top on.

"Are you sure you two don't want to take a dip?" I asked, turning to Emily and Kim.

"I'm sure," Emily told me.

"Okay, I'll go," Kim said, standing up. She took off her sweater, leaving her in her board shorts and tank top. We jogged to the shoreline where Rachel was waiting for us. We stood there, studying the water.

"Why aren't you going in?" I asked Rachel.

"I was waiting for you two," she said.

"Are you sure it's not cold?" Before we could answer, a wave came, causing water to rush at our feet. We all shrieked in surprise.

"It's too cold!" Kim cried. Rachel grabbed her.

"On the count of three, we'll all run in!"

"Okay! Just hurry before I change my mind!" I told her.

"One, two, three!"

I ran into the water, with Rachel and Kim beside me. After getting the water up to my knees, I chickened out. The water was freezing!

"Cold, cold, cold!" I yelled as I turned around to run back to shore. Another shriek escaped from me as I saw Jacob charging at me. With one arm he took hold of me and threw me over his shoulder, carrying me deeper into the ocean. "Jacob! It's cold!"

He laughed as he submerged both of us in the water. I gasped for air when we came back up and instantly latched onto him, hoping he'd share his body heat. His arms found their way around me and within seconds I warmed back up. I gave him a kiss. Pretty soon the others joined us in the water.

After a few hours of playing in the water, we all decided to start the fire so we could warm up and eat. I snuggled close to Jacob as we listened to Quil share one of his grandfather's tribe stories. My eyelids started to droop. My body ached from all the swimming and running around in the ocean.

"Jade," I heard Jacob whisper. I opened my eyes. I sat up and looked around. Almost all the guys were gone. "Where's everyone?"

"In the woods," Jacob answered. "We're all gonna just run around and patrol real quick."

"All of you guys?" I asked.

"They want to act like animals and howl at the moons and scare all the nuts who believe in this Friday the Thirteenth idea," Rachel explained to me.

I laughed.

"We won't take long," Jacob said with a smile. He kissed my temple and jumped up. He sprinted towards the woods.

The only ones left around the campfire were the girls, except Leah who of course went with the guys. The girls were quiet and they seemed to be waiting for something.

"What-"

"Sshh," Emily said softly, putting a finger to her lips. I became silent. After a minute different howls cut through the night air. "There's Sam."

"Jared."

"Paul."

"How-" then as if to answer my question, a long beautiful howl seemed to grow louder and stand out. "Jacob. Wow!" I was amazed at how fast I could pinpoint Jacob's howl from the others.

"The wonders of imprinting," Rachel commented. We all laughed.

"Jade, I'm glad you came today," Emily said.

"Yeah, we weren't sure if you were going to," Kim said in a soft voice.

I gave her a smile. "I'm glad I came too. It's just after everything, I just needed to get my mind straight." They nodded. "I don't know how you guys can handle knowing what they do."

"Well, it's a bit easier for us because we don't have leeches chasing us and trying to kill us," Rachel said.

"Rachel!"

I laughed. "It's okay, Emily. Rachel is right. But I'm pretty sure I won't have to worry about that anymore. Now, I can go back to being normal and having to worry about normal things."

"Like whether or not your shapeshifter boyfriend will come back with any news of new vampires in town," Kim offered. We all laughed.

"Well, as normal as we can be, I guess."

Us girls stayed up just talking while waiting for the guys and Leah to return from their run. The whole time, I had an uneasy feeling in my stomach. I tried my best to ignore it, but the feeling seemed to grow stronger.

"What's taking them so long?" I finally asked, not being able to take the gnawing feeling that something was wrong.

"They probably wandered off pretty far," Rachel said casually.

"Are you okay, Jade?" Emily asked.

"Yeah," I lied. Whoops and hollering were soon heard. I shot up from where I was sitting and looked towards the forest as tall figures emerged. The second I recognized Jacob's silhouette I ran towards him and launched myself at him. Though surprised, he was able to catch me. "Took you long enough!"

He laughed and hugged me tightly. The uneasy feeling that I thought would suddenly disappear once I knew Jacob was safe was still present. Jacob carried me over to where the others gathered around the campfire. I listened to them recount their little adventure in the woods, hoping it would get me to forget about the uneasy feeling. It worked, until everyone decided to was time to go to bed.

Us four girls were given the tent to sleep in while the guys and Leah slept outside. Soon I heard light snoring coming from the guys outside and the girls' steady, even breathing. I assumed I was the only one awake. I looked up at the tent's ceiling and counted sheep. I got up to 120 before giving up. I sat up and fumbled around for my bag. I reached in and felt around for my cell phone. Shielding the screen so the light wouldn't wake anyone up, I turned my phone on. I was surprised to see one missed call. I opened the call log and saw a number listed under my missed calls. It was someone from the Gates. I knew because of the area code and because it was the same person who had called me earlier that week.

"Jade?" I heard Jacob whisper.

"Yeah," I replied, slipping my phone back in the bag.

"Can't sleep?"

"No," I admitted. I looked around the tent, making sure the three other girls were sound asleep. Slowly, I unzipped the entrance of the tent and stepped out. Jacob was by my side in a flash.

"Everything okay?" he asked. I began to nod then stopped. I took a deep breath.

"Actually, there's something I need to tell you," I told him. I looked around, making sure that everyone really was asleep. Jacob took my word and led me towards the parking lot. We got into my car where it was nice and warm. Once the doors was shut, Jacob positioned himself to face. I saw the concern in his eyes. "Brett called me," I blurted out before he would ask what was wrong. His eyes blinked in surprise.

"Brett? Your ex-boyfriend Brett?" I nodded. He looked away as if thinking something over. Then he looked back at me. "Did he say what he wanted?"

"Yeah, that's the weird part," I told him. "He told me to get my dad to keep looking for Conor." Jacob cocked an eyebrow.

"Wait, you're telling me that your ex-boyfriend called you to tell you to tell your dad to look for your missing brother?"

"Yeah, I don't know why either. I actually just hung up on him."

Jacob nodded. "He didn't say anything else?" I shook my head. "Okay."

"Okay?" I repeated. He shrugged.

"Okay," he said again.

"Okay, well, now that that's out of the way," I began. "He called me again tonight. It was a missed call though and he didn't bother to leave a voicemail." Jacob's jaw clenched then unclenched. I placed my hand on his arm. "I just wanted you to know. If he calls again, I'll tell him to leave me alone. I don't even know how he got my new number."

Jacob gave me a smile and he leaned over and kissed me. "I trust you." I smiled.

"Come on, we should get back before they realize we're gone." I wrapped my arms around Jacob's body as we made our way from my car back to where we were camped out. I thought that telling Jacob about Brett's mysterious phonecall would get rid of my uneasiness, but it didn't. Despite that, I was finally able to go to sleep.


	21. Chapter 20

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

"Happy Birthday!"

I screamed and practically jumped out my bed. Aunt Corinne bit back a laugh.

"Aunt Cor! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?" I asked, resting my hand over my heart.

"No, just giving you a birthday wake-up call!" she said. How is she always this cheery in the morning?

I groaned as I made my way back to my bed.

"Don't you want to get ready? Isn't Jacob coming by to drive you to school?"

"How'd you know?"I asked. She just shrugged.

"I'll start making breakfast while you get ready." I groaned again as she made her way downstairs. My bed was so warm and inviting. I wanted nothing more than to spend the whole day in it. The school week was almost over and I was already ready for the weekend. Actually, I was already ready for summer! After trying and failing to catch a few extra minutes of sleep, I got up and got dressed for the day.

"Happy birthday!" I jumped from my position in front of my mirror. This time I managed to keep from screaming.

"What is up with everyone scaring me today?" I asked, irritably.

"Whoa, someone got up from the wrong side of the bed," Jacob joked. He made his way over to me and enveloped me in a hug. I hugged him back.

"I blame Aunt Cor for that," I said. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the moment. His hot skin always felt so good against mine. Being in his arms was a comfortable place for me.

"Breakfast is ready! Hurry up or you'll be late, Jade!"

Jacob and I broke apart. He took my hand in his and led me downstairs. The smell of pancakes and syrup filled the air. My stomach grumbled and Aunt Cor handed me a plate with a stack of pancakes. Jacob took a seat and began to devour his stack of pancakes which was four times the size of mine. He finished his food in record time, while I barely made a dent in mine.

"What's wrong?" Aunt Corinne asked, seeing my lack of appetite.

"Nothing," I told her. "Just tired." She looked concerned. "Well, we better go. I don't want to be late. Thanks for the breakfast Aunt Cor!"

I grabbed Jacob and we both headed out the house.

"Wait, I forgot my keys," I cried.

"It's alright, we can take my motorcycle," Jacob said. I feigned surprised.

"You're passing up a chance to drive my car?" Jacob thought it over.

"Yeah, I'm sure I'll have other chances," he smiled. I laughed. It was true. Jacob practically drove my car more than I did. I took my place on his bike and off we went.

Jacob eased his motorcycle into the parking lot and stopped where my friends were.

"Hey, Jake, nice bike," TJ cried, making his way towards us. The two guys did a little hand shake.

"Happy birthday, Jade!" Jennifer cried. The rest of my friends greeted me as well. The bell rang and all the students in the parking lot began to retreat into the school.

I turned to Jacob.

"I'll see you after school?"

"Do you even have to ask?" he replied, giving me a kiss. Before our kiss could deepen, I heard a growl come from Jacob. He pulled back and his eyes glared at something behind me. I looked around and saw Matt and his friends still huddled around his car, glancing at our way.

"You should go," I told Jacob. I didn't want a fight or anything to start.

"No, I'll wait until you get inside," he told me. I gave him a look. "I'm not going to fight him or anything. I just want to make sure they don't bother you on your way to the building."

"It's okay, Jake, we'll walk with her," Shaun told Jacob.

"Yeah, just get out of here. As much as I want to see Matt's ass handed to him, I'm afraid you'll just end up killing him instead," TJ joked. The guys all laughed. Jennifer and I didn't join.

"That's not funny, TJ," Jennifer scolded.

"I'll see you later," I told Jacob, kissing him one last time. He nodded and cast one last glare at Matt before riding out of the parking lot.

* * *

><p>"Happy Birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday dear Jade! Happy birthday to you!" I smiled as Emily, Kim, Rachel, and the La Push guys sang to me. I leaned in and blew out my seventeen candles. Everyone clapped and cheered.<p>

Immediately, Emily began to pick off the candles so she could cut the cake. The guys already had their plates ready for the delicious looking chocolate cake.

"Jade gets the first slice!" Emily announced.

"Then me!" Embry cried.

"No, me! I'm first in line!" Brady exclaimed.

"There is no line!"

"Yes there is," Paul shouted. "It's behind me!"

Emily rolled her eyes and muttered something about headaches.

"Ladies first," Rachel said. "Then you guys can sort out whoever goes first after that."

We laughed as the guys all began to argue. After getting our slices, us girls went into the living room to avoid getting caught in the chaos.

"So what are you doing this weekend?" Rachel asked me.

"I don't know. My friends said they wanted to take me out on Saturday."

"Where to?"

I shrugged. "We're ditching tomorrow so we could go shopping."

"Are you gonna let Jacob know this time?" Emily asked, with a smile. I giggled.

"Yeah, I guess I should.

The sound of a plate shattering in the kitchen was heard.

"It wasn't me!" we heard all the guys chorus.

"For the love of…" Emily muttered, standing up and making her way to the kitchen.

"It was Jared!" we heard Paul cry.

"Liar! It was Paul!" Jared exclaimed. It was Rachel and Kim's turn to mutter something under their breath. They both stood up and headed towards the kitchen as well.

"Alright, everyone out of the kitchen!" Sam's voice boomed. "Except you two!"

I chuckled to myself as Jacob strode out of the kitchen followed by this pack and Collin and Brady. Jacob took a seat beside me while everyone else found their own spot. Brady turned on the TV and soon an argument ensued on which TV show to watch.

"Ugh, I don't know why I stay for these things," Leah cried. "I'm leaving, Jake."

Jacob nodded. "Do a quick patrol. Embry go with her."

"I just got off patrol," Embry told him.

"Quil?"

"I have it later on tonight."

"Seth-"

"I don't want to patrol with Leah!"

"I can do it myself, Jake," Leah said.

"No, we always double up," Jacob said, firmly.

"It's alright, Jacob," Sam said appearing from the kitchen. "I sent Paul and Jared to do patrol."

"I'm still gonna go," Leah announced as she headed towards the door. Only Sam and Jacob acknowledged her leaving.

"I should go, too," I told Jacob.

"It's still early," Jacob said.

"I'm pretty tired."

"Then I'm driving you home."

"See, I'm even too tired to argue with you," I said. I got up and went to the kitchen to say my goodbyes.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked once we were out of Emily's house.

"Yeah."

"You've been pretty quiet tonight. You seem distracted or something."

"No, I just don't feel well."

"Are you getting sick?" Jacob asked, worried. "I hope you're not getting sick!"

"No, I'm not getting sick. That's not what I meant." Jacob looked relieved. "I just…" I stopped walking. "Have you ever had that feeling in your chest that was telling you that something big is about to happen?"

Jacob looked nervous. "What do you mean?"

"It's hard to explain," I said and resumed walking. "I just have this feeling that something's going to happen."

"I'm sure it's nothing," Jacob said. "Maybe you're just really tired?"

"Maybe." I got in the passenger's side and waited until Jacob took his place behind the wheel.

"So, I heard you're going out with your friends this Saturday," Jacob said once he was inside.

I nodded.

"And you're ditching tomorrow?"

"Yeah, it was either that or we go to Seattle Saturday morning then I won't see you at all that day." Jacob smiled. "You don't mind, right?"

Jacob shook his head. "Just be careful. There's a chance you might run into a bloodsucker."

I gave him a look.

"I was joking," he said. "No more supernatural talk, I remember."

"No, it's not that," I told him. "Maybe I shouldn't go out with them this Saturday."

"What? Why?" Jacob exclaimed. "You have to go!"

I blinked at him in surprise. "I have to go? I don't have to go."

"I know, I didn't mean you _have_ to go, I mean that you should go," Jacob said. "They probably want to take you somewhere for your birthday. You said you wanted to do normal things and be around normal people."

"Yeah, but I just can't shake this feeling. What if something bad happens on Saturday? I should really listen to my instinct."

"You'll be fine," Jacob reassured me. "Nothing's going to happen to you. I'll make sure of it."

"What are you gonna do? Follow us?"

"Maybe," Jacob said trying to be mysterious. I rolled my eyes. "Just go Jade. Nothing bad is going to happen."

"Okay, if you say so," I finally agreed.

He kissed my hand and turned his attention back on the road. We got to my house ten minutes later.

"You want to come in and stay for a while?" I asked, unbuckling my seat belt. "You don't have to patrol tonight, right?"

"No, I don't," Jacob said. "But, I should probably get back. Sam mentioned he needed to talk to me about something."

"Oh, okay." It was hard trying to hide the disappointment in my voice. "I guess I'll just see you tomorrow then?"

"I can come back later," Jacob offered.

"No, it's alright. I'll probably just to bed soon anyway." I managed to give him a smile and placed a kissed on his cheek. "Good night, Jacob."

* * *

><p><strong>AN<strong>: Thank you for all the wonderful love and support readers! I know this is a short chapter, but I will make it up to you by giving you a preview for next chapter!

**_Chapter Twenty One Preview_**

_My eyes wandered around the room, not knowing what Bella saw. Then I caught a glimpse of Emily clutching onto Sam's arm. Kim and Rachel were seated on the couch, Jared and Paul both standing up. I noticed that they, along with the other members of the pack seemed to be on guard. I caught sight of Jacob who was at the back of the room, standing beside Edward. They were whispering amongst themselves, and Jacob did not look happy._

_"What's wrong?" I asked Bella in a low voice._

_"I don't know," she whispered back._

__I know, I know. Crappy preview. But anything else would've given too much away. =P Please review and let me know what you think of my fanfic. I also love reading your predictions. Hehehe. Anywho, this fanfic is close to being halfway done! Any suggestions on my next fanfic? I have tons of ideas written up for Twilight, as well as Vampire Diaries, Charmed, and Harry Potter. =)


	22. Chapter 21

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

It was finally Saturday, the day I was supposed to go out with my friends. It was late in the afternoon and I was getting ready. Although I was excited to spend some time out of Forks with my girlfriends, I was a bit bummed since I didn't see Jacob at all that day. I had hoped that I would at least get to hang out with him even for a little bit earlier that day, but he told me he had patrol and had things to take care of. In other words, a vampire was probably on the loose, running around La Push or even Forks. I was a bit surprised that he didn't even try to get me to stay home. I guess he really was respecting what I wanted.

After applying the last bit of make-up, I looked myself over. It was the first time in a long time that I really fixed myself up. I tugged at my dress, wishing that the hem was a little longer. The dress wasn't exactly short, it stopped mid thigh, but it was still shorter than I was used to. I turned, checking the back, making sure no stain was visible. That was another I didn't like, the entire dress was white. Little beaded sequins adorned the dress and the one shoulder strap that went over my left shoulder was feathered. Sequins and feathers. I sighed. Why I let my friends talk me into getting this dress was beyond me.

The doorbell rang. I ran my hand over my hair one last time and double checked my make-up. I grabbed my gold high heels and made my way down stairs. I opened the door to find Jennifer, Sandra, and Aimee glammed up in their own dresses and make-up.

"Oh my God Jade! You look amazing!" Aimee squealed.

"You mean she looks hot!" Jennifer corrected.

"Too bad Jacob can't see you," Sandra said, wriggling her eyebrows suggestively. I rolled my eyes.

"I don't even know why I let you guys talk me into wearing this."

"Why? You look great!" Jennifer insisted. I balanced myself against the wall so I could put my shoes on. I went to the closet to grab my coat.

"What are you doing?" Sandra asked, grabbing the coat from me. "You are not covering up that dress!"

"Sandra, it's gonna get cold later!"

"Not where we're going," Jennifer told me. The three girls giggled.

"Where are we going anyway?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"It's a surprise," Aimee said. "Which means, you need to put this on." She held out her hand which held a blind fold.

"Are you serious?" I asked. They all nodded their heads. Sandra grabbed it from Aimee and began to put it over my eyes.

"Sandra!"

"Hold still, Jade! You're gonna make me mess up your make-up!" I stopped fighting her and just let her blind fold me. I felt a pair of hands grab each of my arms.

"Slowly down the steps," I heard Aimee instruct. We slowly made our way down the front steps and the pathway. They assisted me with getting into Jennifer's car. Once we were all inside, they blasted the music and I felt the car begin to move. Being temporarily blind made me lose the ability to track time since it seemed like we had been driving for hours.

"I hope we're almost there," I yelled above the music. "I'm starting to feel a little carsick!"

"We're almost there," Sandra yelled. A few minutes later, I felt the car go off the road and descend what I guessed to be a small hill. This certainly did not feel like Seattle. The car halted to a stop and I heard three car doors open. Soon my door opened and I felt a hand clasp down on my arm.

"Alright, we're here Jade. Slow and steady. We don't want to ruin your pretty dress," Aimee said. I slowly turned my body so that my legs were out the car door first. I planted my feet on the ground and I something shift under my heels. Was I on sand or something?

Aimee led me away from the car and announced a short flight of stairs that I had to climb. Just like before, we slowly ascended the stairs. I heard the sound of a door opening. Warm air suddenly surrounded me and I knew that I was finally inside a building. My skim prickled with anticipation.

"Ready?" I heard Jennifer ask. "One, two, three!" I felt the blind fold come undone and I opened my eyes.

"Surprise! Happy Birthday Jade!" I looked around in shock as I realized that I was at the Cullen's house. The Cullen family instantly stood out with their pale skin as well as the wolf packs seeing that they all towered everyone. As for all the other guests, I realized that they were all people from school. One by one, people came up to greet me.

"Happy birthday, Jade!" Alice cried, giving me a big hug. "Were you surprised? Did you like it?"

"Yeah," I replied. "This is amazing, Alice! Thank you!"

"Don't thank me even though I was the one who planned and put everything together," Alice said. "Everyone pitched in and helped, but it was all really Jacob's idea to throw you a surprise party."

I looked behind her and made eye contact with Jacob. I smiled and he took it as his cue to approach me. Alice and Jasper bid me happy birthday again before drifting away to socialize.

"Thank you," I said once Jacob was close enough to hug. "This is great. I can't believe you thought of this."

"Is that a compliment mixed in with an insult?" he asked making me giggle. He took my hands in his and looked me up and down. He let out a low whistle. "You look beautiful, as always."

"I picked out the dress," Sandra said, as she passed by with a guy I didn't know on her arm. "You're welcome." She gave Jacob a wink.

I shook my head.

"Jade, you look amazing!" I beamed as Emily walked up with Sam right beside her. After making small talk with them, Jacob accompanied me around to say hi to all my guests.

"Is that your boyfriend?" a girl named Maria asked when Jacob left to get a drink.

"Yeah."

"He doesn't go to our school, does he?" her friend Kristine asked.

"No, he's from the res."

"He's cute," Maria gushed.

"Cute? More like hot! Sexy!" Kristine cried. I bit back a laugh. I looked over at Jacob who was at the refreshments table talking to TJ and Shaun. Instead of his usual v-neck tee and faded jeans, he wore a blue long sleeve polo that he matched with a pair of dark denims. Yes, he was hot indeed. Reluctantly, I tore my eyes away from my boyfriend and turned my attention back to Maria and Kristine.

"So how do you know the Cullens? I could've sworn that they moved away after all of their kids graduated last year."

"We decided to stay after Renesme came into our lives," Bella said. Maria and Kristine seemed hypnotized by the sight of Bella.

"Uh, this is Bella. Bella this is Maria and Kristine. They're in one of my classes at school." Bella flashed them a smile and the two seemed too frozen to give one in return.

"Nice to meet you two," Bella said.

"You too," Kristine finally managed to reply. The two girls continued to gawk at Bella. Their faces held a mixture of fascination and admiration.

"Uh, Bella didn't you know Angela?" Bella nodded. "Maria's her younger sister."

Surprise registered on Bella's face and she broke out into another one of her smiles. She opened her mouth to say something but stopped. Her eyes scanned the room. The two girls continued to watch her in awe.

"Maria, didn't you say that your sister was-" I stopped midsentence. Bella's eyes caught mine and her head tilted ever so slightly towards the living room. I followed her nod. The living room wasn't as crowded since most of the guests loitered in the kitchen and out around the pool.

My eyes wandered around the room, not knowing what Bella saw. Then I caught a glimpse of Emily clutching onto Sam's arm. Kim and Rachel were seated on the couch, Jared and Paul both standing up. I noticed that they, along with the other members of the pack seemed to be on guard. I caught sight of Jacob who was at the back of the room, standing beside Edward. They were whispering amongst themselves, and Jacob did not look happy.

"What's wrong?" I asked Bella in a low voice.

"I don't know," she whispered back.

Edward caught my eye and gave a slight head nod. I excused myself and started moving towards the living room, Bella close behind me.

Everyone normal seemed oblivious to the tension vibrating off the pack and the Cullens. While my school mates were busy conversing with one another, the Cullens and the wolves were all fixated towards the front door. I gave Edward a questioning look and he only looked back at Jacob who seemed to be asking him a question.

I walked into the living room and turned to see what had them all tense. I froze as I stared at the person who just entered the house. It felt as if I got hit by a ton of bricks. My breathing seemed to cease and the room and everyone else in it seemed to fade away.

The spiked up dirty blonde hair. The dark red letterman's jacket that contrasted so nicely with the pair of blue-green eyes. That smile.

"Jade," I heard him say. The sound of his voice brought me back to my surroundings.

"Brett."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>Dun, dun, dun! Jade's ex is in town! Readers, what did you think? Predictions? Review, review, review, please! Still trying to decide on what fanfic to work on next. Suggestions?

Here's a preview for the next chapter!

**_Chapter Twenty Two Preview_**

_"Keep walking," I said, wanting to be far away from the wolves' superhuman hearing. I crossed my arms over my chest and rubbed my upper arms with my hands. I was so caught up in preventing a fight that I forgot how cold it was._

_"Here," Brett said. I felt something around my shoulders and realized that it was his jacket. I shrugged it off._

_ "I'm fine," I told him._

_ "Jade, don't be stubborn and just take my damn jacket. I know you're freezing." I was so I quietly took his jacket back and draped it around my shoulders. "By the way, you look beautiful."_

_ I came to a halt and faced him.  
><em>

Uh-oh! What is Jade doing with Brett? Where's Jacob? What will happen next? I guess you will have to wait and see! ;)


	23. Chapter 22

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

At the mention of his name, Brett's smile widened even more.

"Jade," he said again, his tone matching his smile. He made his way towards me and I took a step back. It was instinct.

"What are you doing here?" I asked nervously. His smile slowly disappeared.

"Happy birthday!" He went in for a hug and my body stiffened. The familiar scent of his cologne filled my nostril, bringing up old memories. I forced them away. My eyes flittered to where Jacob was. Embry and Quil suddenly flanked Jacob, while Jasper stood beside Edward. Jasper seemed to be focusing on Jacob. I assumed he was trying to calm Jacob down. I broke apart from the hug.

"What are you doing here, Brett?" I lowered my voice when I said his name but I suspected Jacob already knew who he was. Brett studied me for a second before scanning the room. I noticed that his eyes lingered on the Cullens.

"Can we talk?" he asked, leaning in and lowering his voice as well.

"What about?" I asked.

"Not here," he said. I felt his hand on mine and quickly pulled away. From the corner of my eye, I saw Jacob move. Quil and Embry instantly took hold of his arms, but he shrugged them off. After taking a step, Edward put his arm out, but Jacob pushed it away as well.

"Brett, you shouldn't be here. I think you should leave." I took hold of his arm and led him towards the front door.

"Jade, please-" He stopped after a few steps and used his other hand to grab my free arm.

"My boyfriend is here. He's not someone you want to upset," I told Brett. My eyes went back and forth between a pleading Brett and an approaching Jacob. The latter didn't look too happy and his eyes were fixated on Brett. "Brett, you really should go. Now!"

"It's about Conor," Brett told me quickly. This got my attention. I looked into his eyes and there was a hint of urgency. I stole a glance at Jacob, who was now stopped beside Sam. The older alpha seemed to be telling him something, possibly telling him not to make a scene. I looked to the rest of the pack. They were all watching. I looked at Edward and sent him a mental message to keep an eye on the pack and he gave a slight nod.

"Fine, make it quick." I turned to head for the front door.

"Hey, Jade, where you going?" I groaned once I saw Paul leaning against the door way. Jared and Sam soon joined.

"We were just going out to talk," I told him. "Not that it's any of your business, Paul."

"Jacob's my friend, almost like a brother to me, I think it does make it my business," he told me. Jacob suddenly appeared beside him. A slight panic rose inside me. I looked over at Brett who narrowed his eyes that them. I couldn't help but feel bad for Brett. His human side was not enough to take on the four Quileute men who stood in front of him, let alone his werewolf side. His werewolf form was nothing compared to Jacob's.

"Paul," Sam called. "Let them talk." Paul ignored him, but Sam called his name again, this time with more authority. Paul gave Brett a glare before leaving me, Jacob, and Brett alone. I felt the air around us grew tense. Brett and Jacob had a staring match.

"Uh, Brett this is my boyfriend Jacob. Jacob this is Brett," I said, moving close to Jacob who instantly took a step in front of me, blocking me halfway from Brett.

"Brett, huh?" Jacob asked. "Isn't he a friend of yours from the Gates?"

My eyes widened at what Jacob said. I looked to Brett who finally seemed to figure things out. He looked at me, his eyes giving off a mix of emotions: amusement, anger, and hurt.

"Yeah," Brett replied for me. "I'm guessing Jade told you plenty about the Gates, or, I mean me."

This was not going well.

"What are you doing here?" Jacob asked. "Last I checked, Louisiana isn't anywhere near Washington."

"Spring break. I came over to take a look at a few colleges over here."

"Forks isn't really known for anything, let alone a college."

"Well, to be honest, I thought I'd drop by and see how Jade here was doing," Brett's eyes moved to me and he gave me a smile. I heard a growl come from Jacob. This was the time for me to intervene.

"Uh, well, Brett was just about to leave, but before he does, he wanted to talk to me," I told Jacob. He looked at me, his eyes pleading me not to go. "We won't be long." Jacob's stare didn't waver and his hands found mine.

"I don't think that's a good idea," he told me in a low voice. I looked at Brett who gave me an impatient look. I turned back to Jacob.

"I'll be fine." Jacob squeezed me hands tightly. "Jacob, please." He narrowed his eyes at Brett before letting go. I nudged Brett to follow me and we headed down the steps of the house. I glanced back and saw that Paul and the others joined Jacob at the front door. They seemed to be discussing something and occasionally glancing in my direction.

"Keep walking," I said, wanting to be far away from the wolves' superhuman hearing. I crossed my arms over my chest and rubbed my upper arms with my hands. I was so caught up in preventing a fight that I forgot how cold it was.

"Here," Brett said. I felt something around my shoulders and realized that it was his jacket. I shrugged it off.

"I'm fine," I told him.

"Jade, don't be stubborn and just take my damn jacket. I know you're freezing." I was so I quietly took his jacket back and draped it around my shoulders. "By the way, you look beautiful."

I came to a halt and faced him.

"Why are you here?" I asked him, wanting to get straight to the point. I couldn't take him being nice and sweet to me and I was sure Jacob didn't appreciate it either. Brett looked surprised at my question. He furrowed his brows then ran his hand over his hair.

"To see you." Only a part of me believed him.

"Brett," I began. "You said you needed to talk to me. About Conor." Brett put his hands in his pockets and shrugged. "Does this have anything to do with your calls from last week?"

"So you did get them, but you just didn't feel like answering or calling me back?"

"Don't waste my time, Brett." Brett continued to look at me. He gave me a smirk. "What?" He shook his head, giving out a laugh. "What?"

"Wow," was all he said. I crossed my arms. "Are you seriously doing what I think you're doing?"

"What, Brett?" I asked impatiently.

"Werewolves _and_ vampires, Jade?" his amused tone was laced with anger. "Isn't that why you left the Gates? To get away from us monsters?"

"I thought you had something to tell me about Conor. Did they find something?"

Brett sighed and shook his head.

"Then why are you here?" I asked. He gave me another look. There it was again, hesitation, apprehension. Something fishy was going on.

"I came here to get you out of here."

"What? Why?"

"I-" he shook his head. "I just need to get you out of here, okay?"

"I am not going anywhere!"

"Jade, you're not safe here!"

"Brett, if this is about Jacob and his friends and the vampires-"

"It's not about them!"

"Then what? Brett what's going on?"

Brett ran his hand through his hair. He seemed to be debating something. His entire demeanor changed. He looked nervous now, even a little scared.

"It's McAllister." My bones chilled at the mention of the name.

"Wh-what about him?"

"You don't know? You're dad didn't tell you?" I shook my head. "He's dead, Jade."

"He's what?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I should be relieved, but something in my gut told me it McAllister's death was only going to bring more bad news.

"He's dead," Brett repeated. "They found him in the woods-"

I tuned him out. The news of McAllister's death shook me. My thoughts instantly went to my parents and their situation. Who's the new head of the coven? Who's protecting them now? Are they safe? Who killed McAllister? I brought my attention back to Brett.

"Who did it?" I asked. I continued before Brett could answer. "You said he was found in the woods. You and your friends run in the woods. How do I know you guys didn't do it? Why should I leave with you?"

"Jade, don't be ridiculous. I would never hurt you!" I let out a bitter laugh. "We didn't do it!"

"Then who did Brett? It couldn't have been his coven and no normal human could've taken on a vampire. That leaves you and your little werewolf buddies."

"Jade, we didn't do it!"

"I don't believe you."

Brett let out a frustrated sigh. "You're going to have to because it wasn't us. It was Conor!"

Those three words echoed in my head. "What?"

"Your brother was the one who killed McAllister so stop blaming us werewolves!" Brett yelled, getting dangerously close to me. I held my ground.

"You're lying. You're a liar!" I screamed right in his face.

"Jade-"

I shook my head. "My brother is gone, Brett. As far as I know, he's dead so don't you dare bring him into this!"

"He's not gone, Jade," Brett said. "And as far as I know, we all would've been better off with him dead-"

"Leave, Brett! Now!" I took hold of his jacket and threw it at him. He let it hit him and fall to the ground. He grabbed my arms.

"Jade you have to believe me. Conor is still around and I know you don't want to hear this but he killed McAllister! So I need to get you out of here before he finds you!" I struggled out of his grip. His hands were squeezing me so tightly.

"Finds me? What the hell are you talking about? Let me go, Brett!" He did. The second his hands were off me, my right hand went up and slapped him across his cheek. His head snapped to the side and just as quickly, I saw his eyes turn yellow. He bared his teeth and a growl escaped from his throat. I was frozen with fear.

"I tried doing this the nice way, but you leave me no choice," Brett growled. He lunged towards me, but I was still too scared to react. Then, like my knight in shining armor, Jacob made his presence known. He leapt over me and landed in front of Brett just in time to push him back.

"I think it's time for you to leave," Jacob told him. He stood a foot higher than Brett. I suddenly felt sorry, knowing good and well that Jacob had the upper hand if a fight was to break out.

"I'm not leaving without Jade," Brett growled, standing his ground. He didn't even look scared, but rather, determined. This stirred something in me.

"That's not going to happen."

"I'm trying to protect her!" Brett yelled.

"She doesn't need you to protect her," Jacob said. "She has me."

"Yeah, because letting her party with a bunch of damn vampires isn't gonna get her killed," Brett challenged.

"They're harmless, Brett," I told him, feeling the need to defend the Cullens.

"Since when have vampires been harmless, Jade?" Brett asked. "You remember Claire Radcliff? Your neighbor? Rumor has it she's gone back to her old ways and started feeding on humans again."

"That's just a rumor," I said, not believing what he was saying. I didn't want to believe it. As far as I knew the Radcliff's swore off feeding on humans.

"Alright then. How about McAllister? I know he tried to kill you with that little car accident of yours." I had nothing to say to this. "Face it, Jade, you can't trust vampires. And now, Conor is one of them."

"One of them? Are you trying to tell me that Conor is a vampire?" I asked. He nodded his head slowly. "Stop lying."

"I'm not lying! Conor is a damn vampire and he killed McAllister! I saw him feeding off of McAllister!" Brett took a step, but Jacob pushed him back.

"One more step and I swear I will rip your head off with my bare hands," Jacob threatened. I was unsure whether or not this was an empty threat, but I wasn't willing to find out.

"Brett, I think you should just go," I told him.

"Jade, you have to believe me!" His eyes pleaded with me again.

"Why? You've lied to me before."

"That was once and it was different, okay? I had to protect my pack's secret. But this, time I swear on my mom and my pack that I am telling you the truth. Just look at me."

I looked at his pleading eyes as I considered his words. His mom and his pack, they were the most important people to him. After losing his father and brother to a hunting accident, all he had left was his mom. When the moved to the Gates, the pack welcomed both of them with open arms and they became his extended family.

"Don't tell me you're actually considering of believing him," Jacob said.

"No. But I'll humor him," I said. That was partially true. If I had to be honest, I was torn. There was something in me that believed Brett, or wanted to believe him. Then again, there was also a voice in the back of my head telling me that I wasn't getting the whole truth.

"What? Jade, serious-"

"Are you sure it was Conor?" I asked, ignoring Jacob.

"Yes," Brett said, sounding relieved.

"How do you know?"

"I saw him."

"Yeah, well that could've been any other vampire who killed McAllister."

"I saw him before that," Brett said. "He showed himself to me in the woods."

"And you didn't tell anyone?" I asked increduously.

"He told me if I did he would kill my mom."

"Conor would never do anything like that."

"He's a vampire now, Jade. Who knows what he'll do now?"

"I can't believe I even thought about believing you," I scoffed as I began to turn around.

"I'm trying to protect you!" Brett called out. "Conor told me to before he went after you." I stopped and looked at him.

"So now you're saying my own brother's trying to kill me?"

"I don't know," Brett admitted. "But he-"

"This is the last time I'm going to say this Brett: leave! And don't you dare show your face around here ever again."

"Jade, please-"

"She said leave," Jacob told him. Brett glared at him. The two held another stare down. Brett was the first to break when he glanced around him. His eyes turned yellow for second.

"Fine, I'll leave, but if anything happens to you, don't come to me for help." With that, he sent one last glare to Jacob before turning on his heel and walking away. I watched as his figure disappeared into the shadows. I turned to leave for the Cullen house, but stopped when I realized Jacob was still rooted to his spot.

"Jacob-"

"You go ahead," he told me. "I'll catch up with you later."

I was about to question him, but he brushed his lips across mine. Then he gently pushed me towards the house.

"Come on, Jade." I turned to see Bella walking towards me with Edward close behind her. I saw Edward give Jacob a nod. Bella linked her arm through mine while Edward made his way on my other side. Then they both guided me back to the house. Once I entered, the absence of the wolfpacks didn't go unnoticed to me.

"They went to follow him, didn't they?" I asked Edward.

"Jade, time to blow out your candles!" Alice called from the kitchen. I looked at Edward, still waiting for an answer, but he didn't offer me anything.

"Come on, your friends are waiting," he said.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the wait, I had to rewrite this chapter a few times. I think this is an important chapter because it's the first time Jade sees Brett since the Gates and it's also the first time the werewolf meets the shapeshifter. Just a heads up, updates might take longer because the next few chapters are going to get a bit intense, and I really want to focus on them being AMAZING!<p> 


	24. Chapter 23

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**

The following day I woke up feeling restless. After being dropped off by Alice and Jasper, I spent the rest of the late night and early morning tossing and turning. Brett's surprise visit and even more surprising revelations kept me up. My mind went back and forth on deciding if there was any truth to anything Brett told me.

"Jade?" Aunt Cor's knocking prevented me from dwelling on it further.

"Yeah? I called out.

"Good, you're up. Jacob's been calling." I rolled my eyes. No surprise there; he was probably checking to make sure I didn't run off with Brett.

"I'll call him back after I shower."

"Well, I'm headed over to La Push soon, you wanna ride?"

"Sure, just give me half an hour."

After twenty minutes of relaxing and letting my mind clear, I got out of the shower. I wrapped a towel around me and walked to my closet. I quickly got dressed and threw my wet hair into a bun. The blinking light on my cell caught my eye. I turned on the screen and saw that I had a few missed calls. Twenty eight to be exact. Jacob really needed to calm down. I opened up the log and was surprised to see only two missed calls from Jacob. Half a dozen calls came from the unknown Gates number from earlier while the rest of the missed calls were from Brett. After clearing the notification, another message popped up informing me of a voice mail. I clicked to check it. I was half expecting Jacob's voice, but instead I heard Brett's.

"_Jade, I'm sorry. I know me showing up unexpectedly probably wasn't the best idea, but I had to okay? You are in danger! Please, believe me. I know I don't have the best track record of telling you the truth, but this is different. I don't know what else to tell to get you to believe me. All I know is that Conor is alive. He's a vampire. He killed McAllister and he asked me to help you because he thinks you're in danger…from him. I don't know what he means, but I'm going to find out. If you don't want to leave with me then fine, but be careful and take care of yourself! I'm go-"_

The message got cut off. I hung up without deleting the message. My next move was to call Brett. When Brett mentioned finding out what Conor meant, something in my gut told me that it was a bad idea. My doubts about Brett went out window and for those few seconds of me waiting for him to pick up, I decided to believe him. I cursed when the ringing stopped and I was sent to voicemail. I decided to try again and I got the same outcome.

A knock at the door made me jump.

"Are you ready?" Aunt Cor asked, sticking her head in.

"Uh yeah." I shoved my phone in my pocket. "I can drive us. We'll take my car."

Half an hour later, I was pulling up to the driveway of the one level red house. I had dropped off Aunt Cor at Sue Clearwater's house before heading over here. The door to the garage was open, telling me where Jacob was. I got out my car and made my way to the garage. I knocked and he looked up and smiled. I entered and made my way beside him. He quickly leaned in to place a kiss on my cheek.

"Let me just finish this," he told me. I nodded. "What's wrong?"

I shrugged. He placed his tools down and trapped me between himself and the car, one hand on each side of my hips.

"What's wrong?" he asked again. I looked him in the eye. I had a feeling I needed to be assertive on this if I wanted answers.

"Where'd you go last night?" Jacob looked away and took his place back on working on the car.

"We, uh, went out for a run."

"In the middle of my party?" No answer. "You didn't even come back."

"Yeah, it was pretty late when we got back."

"Where did you guys go?" No answer again. "Jacob, where did you guys go?"

"We ran west," he mumbled.

"Towards Seattle? Were you guys tailing Brett?" He stood up straight.

"Just long enough til I was satisfied he was far away," he told me.

"So you know where he is?"

"No," Jacob replied. "Why don't you call him and find out?"

The sarcastic tone wasn't hard to miss, but that didn't stop me from answering him seriously.

"I did, but his phone just kept ringing and sent me straight to voicemail." Jacob slammed his hands on the table. I jumped by his sudden angry outburst.

"Why did you even call him in the first place?" His back was still towards me. I was shocked into silence by his outburst. He turned around, his eyes were intense. "Don't tell me you believed a word he said or are you still humoring him?"

I remained quiet.

"He was lying, Jade. We both know that!" Jacob's voice boomed throughout the garage.

"What if he wasn't?" I asked. "What if he was telling the truth?"

"Okay, what if he was telling the truth?" Jacob said, still obviously angry. He crossed his arms over his chest. "What are you going to do? Leave with him so he could keep you safe? That's bullshit. He's just trying to get you back!" I shook my head.

"Jacob, if Brett is telling the truth that means my brother who we thought was dead, is actually alive. You understand that, don't you?"

"What I understand is that you want to leave. With him." The anger in his eyes didn't match the pain in his voice.

"He's going back to my brother, Jacob. He wants to find out exactly why Conor thinks I'm in danger." I took a deep breath. "So I need to know where Brett is…so I could go with him."

I bit my tongue the second those words came out. Jacob's face twisted to a look of pain and anger. He turned around and let out a frustrated growl. He rested himself on the table, his back heaving up and down from his deep breathing.

"I'm going for Conor not for Bre-"

"Leave," he growled.

"Jacob-"

"Just leave."

"No. Not without talking this out with you."

"Jade, leave, please!"

"No!" He slammed his hands on the table again and then turned to punch the wall. I saw him start to shake. I took a step toward him, but he dodged me. He sprinted out of the garage and headed towards the forest. I followed him.

"Jade! What happened?" I heard Rachel ask as she stumbled out of the house. Paul and Billy came out after her.

"Jade leave him alone! It's too dangerous for you to be around him right now!" Paul told me. He ran past me and headed after Jacob. I stopped running, but kept my eyes trained on the forest. A few seconds later, I heard the familiar howl.

"He'll be fine, Jade. He'll come back, just give him time."

I nodded my understanding at Billy.

"I should go," I told Billy and Rachel.

"Jade-"

I dashed off before they could say another word to me. I backed out off their driveway. I was almost out of La Push when I remembered about Aunt Cor. I made a quick u-turn and headed to the Clearwater's house. Seth and a scowling Leah were outside their house when I pulled up.

"Hi, Jade!" Seth called, running over to me. Leah dragged behind him. "Wanna go to the beach?"

Before I could answer, he grabbed my hand and yanked me along. His grip on my arm was strong and his strides were so long I had trouble keeping up. We got to the beach and I saw that some of the guys were already there along with their imprints. I joined Kim and Emily as the guys started a game of football. I watched as Sam placed a kiss on Emily while Jared picked Kim up and twirled her around. I felt a hint of envy towards them. They all seemed perfect together; always happy, always smiling. Ever since I met them, not once did I witness them fight. Jacob and I, on the other hand…

At that moment I wanted nothing more than to have Jacob there with me, enjoying being together, and not arguing or worrying about anything. Instead, I was here by myself, while he was somewhere in the woods, probably still in his werewolf form. And it was all because of me. I declined Kim and Emily's invitation to walk with them to Emily's house to start preparing lunch. I wanted to be alone. Unfortunately, once Kim and Emily left, Quil took that opportunity to ask me to watch Claire so that he could join in on the football game.

Claire pointed towards the water, so I took her by the hand and walked her over there. She squealed once the water hit her fit. I followed her around, making sure that she didn't wander too far into the ocean. Soon I began to think about my predicament again. Did I really believe Brett or was I letting him suck me into one of his lies and games? If, by chance, he was telling the truth and Conor was indeed alive and a vampire, what else was left to do? Conor could be dangerous, at least he thinks himself so if he really did send Brett all the way here to get me to safety. The one question that repeated in my head was: Why did Conor think I was in danger from him? The idea that my own brother wanted to hurt me was far fetched in a way, but if I considered that he is a vampire now… It didn't make sense. The Cullens were vampires yet they harmed no one but the animals they fed on. The Radcliffs gave up their feeding lifestyle for the sake of their adopted human daughter. In the back of my mind I knew the only way I could answer the burning question was to find Brett and go with him.

I felt guilt ridden just thinking about leaving Jacob behind to go away with Brett. I knew doing that would hurt him and I couldn't do that. He would never do anything to hurt me.

"Jade!" I turned at the mention of my name. "We're headed to Emily's for lunch!" Jared called as he began to walk away with the rest of his pack. Quil, Seth, and Embry were still tossing the football and probably waiting for me. I took hold of Claire's hand and led her away from the water and towards Quil.

"When are you going to let me drive your car?" Embry asked me once I was near him.

I gave him a laugh as my answer.

"Hurry up, I'm hungry!" Seth called. "Oh, hi Jake!"

I looked up at the mention of Jacob's name. He was walking towards us, shirtless and only wearing cut off jeans.

"Uh, we'll meet you guys over at Emily's," Embry said, pushing Seth along. Quil followed carrying Claire while Leah led the group.

I stayed in my spot and let Jacob close the distance between us.

"Hey," he said in a soft voice.

"Hi."

"I'm sor-"

"No," I interrupted. "Don't even apologize Jacob. I should be the one apologizing."

"Jade, I could've hurt you. I almost phased-"

"I made you upset and angry. It wasn't your fault."

Jacob sighed. I noticed that he still kept his distance from me.

"I'm sorry," I said. He only nodded his head. I moved in closer and pulled him to me as best as I could. "Jacob, I really am. And I've been thinking about it and I'm just going to forget everything that came out of Brett's mouth."

"I'd rather you forget about him period," Jacob muttered.

"Then I'll do that," I said with a smile. It wasn't the appropriate time, but I couldn't help notice how cute it was that Jacob was jealous.

"Really?" he asked me, raising his eyebrow. "So what he said about your brother…?"

I took a deep breath. "Forgotten." It felt wrong saying it, but I ignored it. "Can we now please go back to being close to normal as we possible can? I mean, before _'that guy_' dropped by unannounced?"

Jacob nodded again, but this time he flashed me one of his smiles that made me weak. I jumped and Jacob caught me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he leaned in for a kiss. I let myself get lost in the moment.

"This is awkward." I broke apart from the kiss to turn my head. Seth was a few feet away, smirking at us. I felt Jacob tighten his hold on me but I gave him a look and he gently set me down.

"What?" Jacob asked, irritably.

"Uh, Jade, Corinne wanted me to let you know that she's going back to Forks. She's getting a ride from Charlie so you don't have to worry about her."

"Okay, thanks, Seth."

"And, Emily's not letting us eat until-"

"We'll head over there right now," I told him. I knew that Emily was waiting for me to get my share of food before letting the guys' get theirs. I rolled my eyes when Jacob gave me a pout. "Let's go!"

The three of us made our way back to Emily's house.

"Finally!" Embry cried once we walked in the kitchen.

"Sorry," I said, taking my place at the table. I reached in to get my food, the guys all watching and waiting for their turn. "There."

"Go ahead," Emily said, signaling the guys to get their food. As usual it was chaos. A familiar series of beeps drew my attention to my cell phone. I pulled it out and saw a number that I was not familiar with. One thing I knew for certain though was that it came from the Gates. I hesitated; the last few times a number from the Gates called me, it had been nothing but trouble. First it was Mr. McAllister then Brett. Who else was left from the Gates that was set to cause me trouble?

"You gonna answer that or what?" Paul asked in an annoyed tone. I quickly declined the call.

"Sorry."

"Who was that?" Jacob asked.

"Some number I'm not familiar with," I shrugged as I began to dig into my food. It was a ploy that I hoped would stop Jacob from questioning me any further, and it worked. Jacob mirrored my actions and began to start in on his own dish. Not even a few minutes later, the sound of my cell phone ringing was heard, causing a few of the conversations at the table to stop. I took one look at the screen and declined the phone again.

"Same number?" Sam asked.

"Uh, yeah."

"Maybe you should've answered and see what they wanted," Jared said. "I mean, it's what I usually do when someone calls. Ow!" Jared grimaced, at least he pretended to, when Kim elbowed him.

"Jared's right though," Emily said. "It could be about something important."

"Or perhaps you're just trying to dodge someone," Paul suggested, his eyes going from me to Jacob.

"Paul," Rachel hissed.

"Like another four legged former lover?" Leah contributed. Great, the one time she decides to join in on the conversation was when it was to make me look bad.

"Drop it, you guys," Jacob said, his voice commanding. I gave him a small smile. We both were on the same page; we were getting past the whole Brett thing and moving on.

"Damn it, Jacob, don't you want to find out who's calling your girlfriend?" Paul asked. The look on Jacob's face showed he did, but he didn't respond. "Let me see," Paul said, reaching for my phone.

"What are you doing?" I grabbed my phone, but I underestimated Paul's quick reflexes.

"I'll call 'em back and see who they are and what the hell they want."

"Let go, Paul you're gonna break my phone!"

"You let go! Your hand is over my hand so technically I can't let go!" I glared at him. He gave me a smirk in return. He knew he was right. Defeatedly, I let go and Paul took my cell phone.

"Lookie here," Paul said, showing me my screen as my ringtone blasted from the phone.

"Give it to me," Jacob said. Paul tossed the phone to Jacob. I held my breath as Jacob answered the call.

"Hello?" Everyone else around the table seemed to be watching him. Jacob narrowed his eyes and I saw his jaw clench. "Brett?" Jacob looked at me. "No, Brett isn't here. This is Jacob, Jade's boyfriend and this is her phone you're calling. Fine." Jacob handed me the phone. "She wants to talk to you."

"Who?" He shrugged.

"Hello?"

"_Jade?"_

"Lexie?"

"_Where's Brett?"_ I saw Jacob's jaw clench at the mention of Brett. It was then I remembered about their super human hearing. So much for privacy.

"I have no idea."

"_What? He went there to get you."_

"Yeah, well, things just didn't turn out his way."

"_Do you know where he is?"_

"I already told you, I don't know! Did you try calling him?"

"_He didn't pick up. Jade, please, you've gotta help me."_

"Sorry, Lexie, I really don't know where he is."

"_Then find him!"_ I cringed at her tone.

"I really can't help you," I told her one last time.

"_Lukas is dead!"_

My blood turned cold and I felt a chill run down my spine. I stood up and turned my back to the others. I knew it wouldn't help, but it gave me the feeling of at least some privacy. "What do you mean Lukas is dead?"

"_He's dead! He's gone!"_

"What?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. I made me way out of the kitchen and towards the living room. "How? What happened?"

"_We were attacked during our run." _Lexie began to sob. _"It just happened so fast. We didn't even see it coming! It went straight for Lukas and we tried to stop it, but we couldn't and he-" _By that time, Lexie was full on crying and I no longer understood what she said. I brought my hand to my head. I was starting to feel overwhelmed.

"Lexie," I began. "I'm so sorry."

"_Please just find Brett. He needs to come back here. We need him. He was beta, but now with Lukas gone… Plus his mom is worried about him."_

"I don't know what I could do, Lexie. I really don't know where he is."

"_Find a way to find him, Jade! I'm pretty sure he's still around. He wouldn't leave you alone if he knew you were in danger."_

"In danger? So you know about Conor too?"

"_Conor? Your brother? Isn't your brother dead? I mean, they haven't found him…" _I turned around, hearing someone approaching. I saw Jacob enter the living room. He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"Lexie, what do you know? What did Brett tell you?"

"_Just that you were in danger. At first I thought he was just saying that as an excuse to get you back, but after last night-"_

"What?" I looked at Jacob who seemed to be deep in thought.

"_I think Brett's telling the truth. Whatever it was that killed Lukas, I think it's after you too."_

"What was it that killed Lukas?"

"_Another werewolf. Whatever it was, it wasn't one of us." _Jacob came out of his zone and locked eyes with me.

"How do you know?"

"_Because it was bigger than us and it stood on its hind legs."_

"What?"

"_I don't know. Just find Brett! Tell him about Lukas. Tell him he needs to go home. We need him. Please, Jade!"_

"Lexie, I-" Jacob nodded his head at me. I gave him a blank stare.

"We'll do it," he told me.

"Okay, I'll find him," I said to Lexie over the phone. Jacob pushed himself off the wall. He made his way back to the kitchen where the others were surely eavesdropping. After hanging up the phone, I followed.

"Jacob," I began, not knowing why he suddenly agreed to find Brett.

"I'll find him," Jacob told me.

"You will?"

Jacob nodded. "I'm gonna find Brett, find out what else he knows about this other werewolf, then send him back home. And you're not coming." I bit my lip to keep myself from protesting. He took that as my agreement and turned to the others. "While I'm gone, double up on patrol. Keep a look out for Brett and whatever this other werewolf is. Make sure neither get anywhere near Jade."

"We'll take care of the patrols," Sam said. "You and your pack go find Brett that way you can cover more ground."

They all chorused their agreements.

"Come on," Jacob said, grabbing my hand. "I'm taking you home and then I want you to stay there."

"I'll tell the Cullens and see what they can do to help," Seth offered.

"Okay, then I want you to stay behind with the Cullens. If anything happens here, I need someone who can reach me quickly."

I let Jacob lead me out of the house. He motioned for me to hop on his back and I did. He ran the whole from Emily's house to the Clearwater's, where my car had been. I let him drive me home, the whole trip silent. He walked me to the house.

"Jade?"

"Yeah, Jacob's here with me." I knew Aunt Cor was in the kitchen like always.

"What are you two up to?" Aunt Cor said, not looking up from her cook book.

"Not much," Jacob answered. "I just dropped Jade off because I have some stuff to care of."

Aunt Cor peered at Jacob. "Oh? Like what?"

Jacob shrugged.

"Shouldn't you go soon?" I asked, not wanting Aunt Cor to grill him. I shot him a look. How could he be so careless with his words? Shouldn't he be more careful with what he said?

"Well, before you go, can I give you something to hand over to Sue? I forgot to give it to her earlier."

"Sure."

"Jade," Aunt Cor turned to me. "Can you do me a favor and get me my purse upstairs in my room while I get Sue's things ready?"

"Sure." I made my way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. I slipped into Aunt Cor's room, a room that I had only been in twice the whole time I'd been living in her house. I spotted her black leather purse on top of her dresser and I grabbed it.

"Here," I said.

"Thank you."

"Well, I should get going," Jacob said nodding at Aunt Cor. He grabbed the plastic bag sitting on the counter. "Walk me out?"

I led him out the kitchen and to the front door. "You mind if I use your car?"

"Uh, no, go ahead. I can always use Aunt Cor's if I need to get around."

Jacob stepped closer and brushed his thumb across my cheek. "Please, promise to stay here and not go looking for Brett."

"I promise," I told him. He leaned in and kissed my lips.

"Be careful," I breathed when we finally broke apart. He nodded. He took a second to study my face. It seemed he had something else on his mind.

"I'll call you and let you know what's going on," he said. After one last lingering kiss, he turned on his heel and went to my car. He gave one final wave before driving off.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: <strong>I apologize for the long wait! I ended up rewriting certain parts of my outline which led me to rewriting a good chunk of the remainder of the story! Thank you for your patience! I hope this chapter does not disappoint and I will try my best to keep on top of updating!


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24**

"Aunt Cor! Is it okay if I use your car again?"

"Of course, sweetie," Aunt Corinne replied as I entered the kitchen. She tossed her keys in my direction. "Another day of not working might do me some good."

"Sorry," I said. "Jacob hasn't given me my car yet."

"He's still out camping with the guys?"

"Uh, yeah," I replied, trying to keep up with Jacob's excuse for being gone and taking my car. "He said he'd call me when he got the chance-"

"Oh, stop worrying. If they're out camping, he's probably out where cell phones don't get any service. Come to think of it, I don't think any of them have cell phones do they?"

I shrugged. "I just hope he gets back today or something." It was already Thursday, four days since Jacob and his pack left to look for Brett. A few days before, I found out from Seth that the rest of the pack returned, but Jacob was still away.

"I'm sure he'll be back eventually," Aunt Corinne said, giving me a smile. "Besides, he's probably not that far off."

After finishing my breakfast, I headed out to school. The whole school day, my friends kept asking if I was okay. I didn't blame them I was distracted the whole time. I had been phoning Jacob's house as well as Emily's house in between classes. Billy and Rachel still hadn't heard from Jacob and like Aunt Corinne, Billy told me not to worry.

Once the last bell rang, I collected the books I needed for that day's homework and headed to my temporary car.

"Jacob still has your car?" Jennifer asked, arriving at her car that was parked beside me.

"Yup."

"So you two are that serious now?" she teased. "Letting one another borrow each other's vehicles? You should make him a copy of your keys."

"Thanks," I replied. "I'll keep that in mind."

I drove out of the parking lot and instead of heading home, I started for the Cullens, hoping to corner Seth there. Out of Jacob's pack, he was probably th easiest to get information from. Ever since the other three came back without Jacob, they had been avoiding me; I knew they were keeping something from me.

Once I got onto the dirt road that led to the Cullens', I sent a mental message out to Edward telling him not to let Seth leave before I could question him. I came to a stop and got out of Aunt Cor's car. Before I could run up the steps, Rosalie opened the door.

"Edward said you were arriving," she told me, opening the door wider. "And before you ask or say anything, you just missed Seth."

I groaned.

"Jade," Esme said, appearing beside Rosalie. "Why don't you come in? I just made some cookies, hopefully Seth didn't devour them all."

Not wanting to be rude, I entered their house and followed Esme into the kitchen. The smell of fresh baked cookies was heavenly. She offered me a plate and I quickly grabbed a cookie.

"Let me get you a glass of milk." Esme took all but three seconds to grab a glass from a cabinet and pour milk inside before handing it to me.

"Thank you."

"So, what brings you here?" Esme asked.

"I was hoping to catch Seth," I told her, covering my mouth. "Jacob's still not back and Embry, Quil, Leah, and Seth have been avoiding me for some reason. Same with Sam and his pack. They won't tell me what they know about Jacob or Brett."

Esme and Rosalie shared a look. I saw Esme shake her head while Rosalie nodded.

"What?" I asked.

"Nothing," Esme said. "I'm sure Jacob is doing just fine."

"Yeah, I'm more than certain he's closer than you think."

"Rosalie," Esme warned.

"That's what my Aunt Cor told me."

"See, Esme? I'm not the only one who thinks it."

I looked at them both suspiciously.

"Well, it was nice seeing you again, Jade, but I think Carlisle is calling me."

I waited until Esme was gone before turning to Rosalie.

"What-"

"Sorry, Jade, but Emmett and I have a date to go hunting and I need to get ready."

She ushered me up from my chair, out of the kitchen, and to the front door.

"Well, if by chance you and Emmett bump into Jacob-"

"I'm sure you'll have a better chance of bumping into that mutt than we do."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Like I said, Jade, he's closer than you think." Her eyes looked behind me and I turned, sweeping the surrounding greenery with my eyes.

"Wait, are you saying Jacob's close by?"

"It's like I could practically smell him," she replied, with a sly smile.

I looked behind me again. It seemed like Rosalie was trying to hint that Jacob was here, close enough that she could smell his scent.

"Thanks for stopping by, Jade," Rosalie said, giving a small wave before closing the door. I made my way to the car, thinking about Rosalie's comments. I sat in my car trying to make sense of everything Rosalie said. _'He's closer than you think…It's like I could practically smell him.'_ My head whipped around, for some reason thinking that Jacob was hiding in the backseat of my car. I used my rear view mirror as well as my side mirrors to look around my car.

Apparently, a couple of light hints was all Rosalie was going to give me. She knew something, possibly the same thing that Jacob's pack knew, only she was the only one willing to let me in on it. A thought dawned on me: Jacob was here. Jacob was back. Since when? And why was everyone making it a big secret? I put my car into reverse and drove my car around towards the main road. Once there, I stopped. The road was clear to go, but I was debating on what to do. I could go over to La Push and see the guys and Leah. I could demand them to give me answers and even spring the fact that I knew Jacob was back. Or…I could just go home and let it go. If Jacob was back, then he must have a good reason why he's been hiding out. A part of me, a huge part of me, wanted to speed down to La Push. After all, it's what I do right? Meddle into everyone's business and cause unnecessary drama, just like I did at the Gates and with the whole McAllister thing, and now the Brett thing.

I went against my gut and decided to turn over a new leaf and just head home. I've been saying how I want to be a normal, teenager again right? Then a normal teenager would most like be at home right now, doing homework and preparing for the big history test they had the next day.

Turning the wheel to the left, I got on the main road and headed home.

"Hey you," Aunt Corinne said, coming down the stairs as I walked inside. "I was just about to start dinner. Any requests?"

"Uh, no, not really," I answered. "I don't really have much of an appetite right now."

"Jade," I heard her sigh. "Jacob is fine, okay?"

"Has Billy told you anything? Has he heard from Jacob?"

She shook her head.

"I'll just be upstairs."

"Well, just come down when you get hungry." She left her position on the stairs and headed to the kitchen.

I started up the stairs and stopped after a few steps and descended back down.

"Aunt Cor," I called, entering the kitchen.

"Hmm?"

"What did you mean earlier this morning when you said Jacob was probably not far off?"

She shrugged. "Just that. There are a lot of good spots for camping around here, you know."

I studied her for a good minute. Could she be in on it too? Did she know that Jacob was back? After all, she was Aunt Corinne, the only person I knew who was close enough to be called a psychic or something.

"You know that Seth and them came back a few days ago."

Aunt Cor stopped and turned to look at me. "Really?"

"Yeah, Jacob is the only one who's still not back."

"Well, Jacob's been known to, uh, take absence every once in a while."

I nodded.

"So, how about chicken parmigian for dinner?"

"No thanks. I'm still not that hungry."

I settled onto my bed with my history book. After twenty minutes of staring at the same page, I gave up. I couldn't concentrate on anything else. Not while I was too busy worrying about Jacob. I knew worrying was pointless, especially since no one else seemed to be concerned. They all believed that Jacob was fine, and to be honest, I did too. If Jacob was hurt or anything, I would know because of the imprint bond that we shared. The only thing I felt was the feeling of missing him. I hadn't seen in him days and it was bringing me down.

My mind suddenly took a sharp turn in another direction, and Brett was suddenly on my mind. Did Jacob find him? Did he hear about Lukas? Is he back at the Gates? The possibility that Jacob did find him and sent him back entered my mind. That opened up to the thought that Jacob might have tailed Brett to make sure he was going back to Louisiana. That thought totally conflicted with what Rosalie hinted to me earlier. Jacob was close. Did I believe that? I did earlier, but now? Enough was enough. Who was I kidding? I couldn't just sit by and do nothing. If I wanted answers, I had to go looking for them. I fumbled in my bag for my cell phone. When I came up empty, I began to check my pockets. Nope. I headed down stairs. The front door creaked like it usually did whenever it was opened.

"Jade? Where are you going?"

"I left my cell phone in your car!"

I walked down the pathway, rubbing my arms to keep warm from the cold night's air. I opened the driver's seat and began to look all over for my cell phone. After a few minutes of searching, I finally found the blasted thing under the passenger's seat. I quickly dialed Rosalie's number. Her voicemail prompted me to leave a message which I declined. I took that as a sign telling me to leave it alone. As I made my way back towards the house, I couldn't help but glance over at the woods.

"Leave it alone, Jade," I told myself. Apparently, I'm too stubborn to even listen to myself. I headed towards the woods.

The forest was dark and I barely could see anything in front of me. My mind told me to turn around and go home, but my gut told me to keep going. Guess which I decided to listen to? I continued deeper into the forest, using only the moonlight that streamed through the trees as my source of light. Leaves crunched under my feet. A bush rustled a few yards away, and my ears perked when I heard a low growl. My heart dropped to my stomach. I readied my phone in case I needed to quickly call for help.

"What are you doing here?"

I screamed and spun around, dropping my phone in the process.

"Did you forget how dangerous the woods are?" he cried, walking closer to me. "What were you thinking coming out here by yourself, especially at night?!"

"I don't know," I said, still waiting for my heart rate to go down.

"You don't know?" Jacob asked, clearly angry. "Damn it, Jade, don't you ever stop to think before doing something?"

"Wait, you're mad at me?" I asked. I finally got over my little scare and was able respond properly. "I should be mad at you, Jacob!" He looked taken back by what I said. "What are _you_ doing here? I was under the impression that you were still 'handling business' as Leah put it."

Jacob looked away from my accusing eyes. The sudden look of guilt that crossed his face didn't escape me.

"Where were you?" He didn't answer. "You were here weren't you?" I didn't wait for him to answer. The expression on his face said it all: I was right. "I knew it."

"Only because of that dumb blonde-"

"You were here the whole time?" I asked, cutting him off. How I found out about his whereabout was not the point. "Why?"

Jacob went back to being silent and answerless.

"You were gone for five days, Jacob! You told me you'd check in but you never did!"

"Jade-"

"No!" I cried. "You had your chance to talk but you wouldn't so now it's my turn." He nodded and took a deep breath, no doubt bracing himself for whatever I had to say. "Your pack came back a few days ago without you and they had no explanation for your absence. They didn't even tell me if you guys found Brett-"

"We did-"

"Not finished!" I cried, holding up my hand. Jacob gently grabbed my hand and pulled me close. I wasn't expecting the kiss that he planted on my lips. I tried to resist, but finally having him home and in front of me made me give in…for only a little bit. I eventually pulled back and proceeded to smack him on his arm.

"What was that for?" Jacob asked, the smack clearly not affecting him.

"For kissing me!"

"You don't like me kissing you?" he asked, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Not when I'm mad at you!" I said, turning on my heel and walking towards the direction of the house.

"You're still mad?" I whirled around and Jacob quickly stopped, to avoid walking into me.

"Of course I'm still mad!" I told him. "First of all, do you have any idea how worried I was? Five days of hearing absolutely nothing from you. I was worried sick!"

"I know-"

"But you still didn't care enough to show up and let me know you were back."

"I'm sorry, okay? But after we found Brett, I just had to make sure that he-"

"That's what this is about? Brett?" I cried. "You were watching me to make sure that I wouldn't sneak away with him?"

"No, not exactly, but can you blame me for thinking that?" Jacob asked. I shook my head in disbelief. "Jade, I was kidding."

"Go home, Jacob. As much as I missed you and worried about you, I really don't feel like seeing or talking to you right now."

I felt a small stab in my heart as the words left my mouth. Jacob looked like he felt the same thing.

"You don't mean that," he said in a soft voice.

As my answer, I turned and walked away. By the time I reached the house, a familiar howl cut through the night air. I ignored the pain in my chest and went inside. When I got to my room, the first thing I did was cross to the window. I locked it, pulled the blinds down and drew the curtains closed.

Deep down, I was happy and glad that I saw Jacob face to face. It reassured me that he was alive and well. Still, I couldn't help but feel angry and betrayed, like I told to Jacob. What I didn't tell him was that I also felt hurt. It was clear that wanting to find Brett to see what else he knew about Conor hurt Jacob, but I never expected for him to not trust me anymore because of it. I knew a part of my anger was misplaced. I should have some anger directed towards myself. After all, I was stupid to not consider Jacob's feelings. I was always too caught up with things in my life.

More howls cut through the air, each one sounding more pained than the last. I went to my nightstand and grabbed my iPod to drown out the howls.

* * *

><p>Short chapter! But I wanted to give you readers something! Things are about to get intense! I don't have a preview to offer you for Chapter 25, but I promise you the next upcoming chapters will be awesome! More werewolves, more vampires, and more...Brett?! Dun, dun, dun!<p> 


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"Good morning."

"Morning," I mumbled as I entered the kitchen. I felt Aunt Corinne's eyes watching my every move. Even though it was unnerving, I paid her no attention and continued to make my breakfast: a bowl of cereal.

"What are you up to today?"

I shrugged. I knew she was fishing for answers. The news of my fight with Jacob spread like wildfire among the pack members. I knew Aunt Corinne would find out eventually with her being 'clairvoyant and all knowing.' The fact that I declined all of Jacob's calls may have tipped her off as well.

"You haven't been out much," my aunt commented.

"It's been raining the last couple of days," I said with a mouthful of cereal.

"See, even Mother Nature is crying for you and Jacob."

I rolled my eyes.

"I haven't spoken to him in two days, I think Mother Nature can survive. I am." It was a lie. I was a mess. It only had been two days since I told Jacob I didn't want to see or talk to him, and I was acting like we broke up or something. I put on a front for my friends at school, but once I was home, I stayed in my room and just stayed in bed. I knew that Jacob was pretty much in the same state; Aunt Cor made sure that I knew whenever she spoke to Sue on the phone. I was still mad, but that didn't mean I couldn't miss him. I hated being mad at him, but I hated sweeping things under the rug more. I wasn't about to do that this time.

"I'm heading to Seattle today," Aunt Cor told me.

"Today? Isn't there a storm hitting today?"

"Not till tonight. I'll be back in plenty of time before then. Astrid needs help storm proofing the store." I nodded. "You want to come with? I need to swing by La Push to pick up Sue, maybe we could stop by Jacob's-"

"No," I cut her off. "I mean, no thanks."

"Jade you can't keep holeing yourself up!"

"That's not what I'm doing! It's gloomy and all depressing outside and it just makes me want to have a lazy day today."

"You had a lazy day yesterday," she pointed out.

"Okay, I want to have a lazy weekend."

She studied me for a second before nodding.

"Can I at least pass on a message to Jacob?"

I shook my head. She sighed as she put on her coat.

"Honestly, Jade, this is silly. There's no point in you two being miserable."

"I'm not miserable," I said, crossing my arms. Aunt Cor gave me a look that showed that she didn't believe me.

"If you say so." She walked over to me and gave me a hug. "But if only you could hear how Jacob sounds. Poor guy."

I bit my tongue to keep myself from asking about him.

"Have fun in Seattle," I told her before leaving the kitchen and heading to my room. I heard her express her thanks before saying bye. I listened to the front door creak open. The light pitter patter of the rain outside covered up Aunt Cor's high heeled foot steps. I heard her car start up then drive away.

I got into bed and curled up into a ball under the covers. I wrapped my comforter tightly around me, hoping to trap my body heat in and warm up. I instantly thought of Jacob's hot skin and how quickly I would have warmed up in his arms. I groaned and closed my eyes. I tried to force sleep, but it didn't work. Instead, I laid in bed, staring at the ceiling. I began to study the little patterns on the ceiling. It was the only thing that kept my mind from wandering back to Jacob.

My phone buzzed and I jerked awake. I guess studying little ceiling patterns was as good as counting sheep. I reached for my cell phone and saw that it was Aunt Corinne.

"Hello?" I answered, sleepily.

"_Jade?_" I heard her say through all the static.

"Aunt Cor? Hello?

"_Can – ear me?"_

"Hold on you're cutting up." I got up from the bed and walked over to the window. Immediately I heard the violently pounding of raindrops against my window. No wonder my service wasn't good.

"Hello?" I tried again.

"_Jade, we're stuck in –tle."_

"You're stuck in Seattle?" I repeated.

"_Yes. Don't know what time-"_ The line went dead. I looked at my phone and saw that I had one bar. It was probably on her end.

"Great," I muttered. I drew open my curtains and opened the blinds. The sky was covered by dark grey clouds. Raindrops hit against my window, and I could see the little splashes they made on the road. My eyes couldn't help but gaze over at the spot in the woods where Jacob usually sat, in wolf form, whenever he stopped by during his patrols.

I closed the blinds and curtains once more.

My cell phone rang in my hand.

"Aunt Cor?" I answered, not looking at the screen.

"_Jade, it's Charlie."_

"Hi, Chief," I said.

"_Are you doing alright? I just got off the phone with Sue who told me that she and your aunt are stuck in Seattle until the storm passes through."_

"Yeah, I'm fine."

"_Are you sure? I could maybe pick you up and take you to-"_

"No thanks," I told him. I knew he was going to suggest La Push.

"_Well, I'll send one of my men to drive down there later to make sure everything is okay. Make sure you have a flashlight or candles ready in case the electricity goes out."_

"Will do."

"_Double check all windows doors. Make sure they're closed and locked."_

"Yes, sir," I replied.

"_Alright, Jade, take care then. If you need anything, don't hesitate to call me or Billy or Carlisle."_

I agreed and thanked him before getting off the phone. I sighed. Being home alone during a storm was not going to be fun; I hated storms.

Remebering Charlie's instructions, I pocketed my cell phone and headed down to the kitchen. I remembered seeing a stack of candles in stashed in one of the kitchen drawers. Midway down the stairs, I shivered and noticed the goosebumps on my skin. It was cold! I turned back to grab a sweater from my closet. Just then, I heard a loud humming sound and the all the lights turned off. I froze, still standing on stairs, this time in total darkness.

"Shit, I am going to die," I said to myself. Abandoning my need for a sweater, I carefully felt for the banister. Slowly I descended the remaining steps and used the wall to guide me to the kitchen. "Ow!"

Instinctively, I reached for my big toe and cursed whatever it was that I stumped it on. I hopped on one foot, towards where the kitchen island was. I opened the drawers and began feeling around. I moved on to the next drawer. I felt something sharp tear the skin on my palm and I cried out in pain. I felt something wet and I knew it was my blood. I clumsily made my way to where I figured the sink would be.

"No water," I told myself when I turned the faucet and nothing came out. Instead, I reached over for a paper towel. I balled it up and pressed it over my palm. "All alone in an empty house during a thunderstorm and I'm going to bleed to death."

A rattling sound stole my attention from my wound. I stood straight and looked towards where I heard the sound. It came from the dining room, right across from where I stood. I strained my ears to see if I really did hear something. A small thud came from upstairs. My heart started beating faster and I fumbled for my phone. With the paper towel still balled up againsed my palm, I dropped my cell phone.

"Shit!" I quickly ran from my spot against the sink and went towards the dining room. My next move was to run through the living room to get to the hall that would eventually lead me to the front door. From there I could go to the neighbors for help. That is if I don't get struck by lightning first. As I made my way through the living room, I heard the sound of heavy footsteps descending the stairs. There was no one I could avoid being seen.

I felt my body collide into someone else. Someone warm and well muscled and wet.

I screamed and began to flail my arms around.

"Jade! It's me!" I felt a strong grip on my arms.

"Jacob!" I cried. A sense of relief washed over me at seeing him, but I resisted the urge to run into his arms. "What the hell? Are you trying to scare me to death?"

"I heard you scream. Are you alright?" His hands traveled from their place on my arms to the side of my face.

"I cut my hand," I told him, holding up my hand with the paper towel on it.

"What? Let me see."

"I'm fine," I said as I winced at him touching the cut.

"Where's the first aid kit?"

"Uh, beats me," I replied. "I got this from searching for the candles."

He led me towards the kitchen. Without a word he hoisted me up and sat me on the island.

"Stay here," he said as he began to rummage around the kitchen.

"I'm fine," I repeated. "It stopped bleeding…kinda."

"Here." Jacob stood in front of me and grabbed my hand. He took of the papertowel and turned my hand palm up.

"What's- Ow!" I cried in pain as the alcohol stung my hand. "You could've warned me!" Jacob ignored me and instead took my hand and began to blow on it. The stinging eventually subsided. He began to wrap a bandaged around my hand.

"There." I rolled my eyes.

"Thanks," I said coldly, trying to hang onto the anger that I felt because of him.

"Not the most sincere, but I'll take it." I scoffed. "You're lucky I was close by or else you would've bled to death." I heard humor in his tone. He was poking fun at me. No doubt he had been watching me long enough to hear the comment I made to myself earlier.

"And here I thought you were done with that stakeout of yours." I tried to hop off the island, but Jacob stood firmly in front of me and kept me from doing so. "Excuse me." But he didn't budge. "Jacob-" Before I knew it, I felt Jacob's lips on mine. Once again, I was weak. I felt my anger melt away and this time I didn't fight it. I hated fighting with Jacob and I hated being angry at him.

"I'm sorry," he said softly after he pulled away. He rested his forehead against mine.

"Me too," I finally caved. I finally wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. His strong arms made their way around my body and I squeezed him harder. A chuckle rumbled through his chest. I couldn't help but smile. This was how we were supposed to be. Together and happy. A rumble coming from Jacob's stomach ruined the moment.

"I haven't eaten since last night," Jacob told me sheepishly. I frowned at him.

"Well, I'm sure there's something here we can snack on until the power comes back on. Actually, I think I remember seeing a generator somewhere-"

"Don't bother. It doesn't work," he said. I gave him a questioning look. "Last time there was a storm, Paul and I came here to check on Corinne. Generator wasn't cooperating and let's just say, Paul got frustrated."

"Surprise there," I joked. I motioned for me to jump off and Jacob helped me. "I guess we're stuck with whatever is in the pantry."

After scavenging for what we could eat, Jacob and I made our way to the living room. We let silence pass between us as we both filled our empty stomachs.

"Man, if only we were at Emily's," Jacob began. "She usual makes soup and sandwiches."

I giggled. I could practically see him salivate at the thought of food.

"Is that where everyone else is?" I asked, polishing off my one last bite of muffin.

"Most likely. She keeps enough food stored away to feed us for an entire week! But I'm sure Seth is over at the Cullens."

"Seth," I said, thinking about the cheery teenager that I grew to love like my own brother. "I can't believe you let sweet little Seth lie to me."

"He didn't lie to you!" Jacob protested. "He just wasn't allowed to say where I was. It's not like you had the chance to ask anyway."

I nodded in agreement.

"Another thing, I don't think he appreciates you calling him little." Thunder rumbled loudly outside and moved closer to Jacob. He draped his arm protectively around my shoulders and I snuggled in closer.

"I hate storms," I murmured.

"Me too," he replied quietly.

"You do?" I asked in surprised. "I didn't think anything ever scared you."

"It's not so much as me being scared of them," he said. "It's…"

I waited for him to continue.

"My mom died in a car accident." I nodded. This I already knew from Aunt Corinne. She also let me know that it was a topic the Blacks weren't too open with discussing. "It was stormy, the roads were slippery, there was lightning and thunder…"

I rubbed his arm as a way to comfort him. "I'm sorry." He cleard his throat, something that I figured was a way to end the conversation. "I wonder how long till the power comes back on."

"Probably not till the storm is done."

"Doesn't sound like it's letting up anytime soon," I commented, listening to the rain pounding against the window. "I hope Aunt Cor and Sue are okay."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," he reassured me.

"What time is it anyway?" I asked. A yawn escaped me.

"Apparently, time for you to sleep," Jacob laughed.

"No, I'm okay," I told him, though the thought of sleeping through the storm was nice.

"You sure?"

"Mmhmm." But I let my eyes close anyway. The sound of the raindrops was actually relaxing. That paired with the beating of Jacob's heart and the steady rhythm of his chest rising and falling was enough to coax me into sleep. I heard Jacob call my name, but he sounded far away. Soon my body felt light, I felt like I was floating. Then my body landed back down on something firm and cold. I stirred and opened my eyes just as Jacob placed my comforter over me.

"Where are you going?" I asked as he began to walk towards the door.

"Downstairs," he answered.

"You're not gonna leave me by myself are you?"

"No, never." I smiled.

"I meant you're not gonna go home now are you?"

"No, I'll stay till Corinne comes home. I'll just be on the couch."

I nodded.

"Good night," he said.

"Night." I nestled back into my bed, ready to go back to sleep when the sound of thunder echoed outside. I screamed as I felt the house shake.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked, barging back into my room.

"Can you stay here?" I asked, not caring that I probably sounded like a scaredy cat.

He laughed to himself. I handed him one of my pillows and he plopped on the floor with it.

"Need a blanket?"

"No thanks. The perks of being a shape shifter," Jacob said. I layed back down on my bed. I tried to sleep, but the thunder and the house shaking pretty much scared the sleep out of me.

A series of beeps sounded from somewhere in my room. I looked over the edge of the bed and saw Jacob reach for his pocket.

Without a word, he handed me my cell phone.

"It's Aunt Cor," I told him. "Hello?"

"_Jade, how – you?"_

"Uh, I'm fine. The power's out but Jacob's here with me."

"_That's –ood. I got a,"_ I strained my ear to make out what she was saying,_ " or – ad!"_

I heard urgency in her voice, but it didn't help me figure out what she was trying to say. I got up and moved closer to the window.

"Aunt Cor, I can't understand you. You're breaking up!"

"_Tom—row."_

"Tomorrow? What's going on tomorrow?" I heard the line go silent. "Hello?" I looked at my phone. The call was lost.

"What'd she say?" Jacob asked from his place on the floor.

"Uh, something about tomorrow?" I replied.

Light filled the room and the sound similar to a whip crack resounded. The sound of something breaking was heard followed by a thud.

"What was that?" Jacob jumped up and joined me at the window. We both peered outside. A tree from the forest was now lying on the road.

"Oh my-" Thunder rumbled again. I felt the vibrations off the window. I clung onto Jacob. "I don't like this!"

Jacob wrapped his arms around me and led me back to the bed. "It's fine. Just go to sleep that way when you wake up, it'll be all over." I slid under the comforter, but kept my hold on Jacob's hand.

"Stay with me," I said. Jacob looked surprise at my request.

"Jade, uh, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Please?" I asked, tugging on his hand. He took a few seconds before answering.

"Okay." I scooted over but I sensed his hesitation. I watched as he slowly climbed onto the bed. I noticed how he decided to stay on top of the comforter rather than going under and it was then I realized the reason for his hesitation.

I felt my cheeks redden at the thought of being intimate with Jacob. I blushed even harder thinking of Jacob thinking of us being intimate. I wanted to blurt out that it wasn't what I was thinking; that I simply wanted him close by during the storm, but I was too embarrassed to even bring it up. Instead, I turned over so that my back was to him and increased the space between us, not that it helped seeing that my bed was just a full size and he alone took up more than half the bed.

I closed my eyes and tried to go to sleep, but the thought of having Jacob beside me in bed, half naked none the less, distracted me. Him being shirtless was something I was used to and he'd been in my room plenty of times before, but my thoughts from earlier seemed to have planted a seed in my mind. I shook my head to try and clear it away.

"Are you okay?" Jacob asked. I felt the bed shift.

"Yeah," I answered. "Just trying not to think about this storm."

"I usually just think of something else. Something deep that usually zones me out."

"Like?"

"Like how different things would be."

This made my turn around to face him. He was laying on his back, his hands behind his head, staring up at the ceiling.

"What do you mean?" I asked.

He shrugged. "What I'd be doing now if I hadn't phased at all."

"What do you think you'd be doing?"

He turned his head to look at me. "I'd probably still be in school," he chuckled. "Probably would've been psyching myself for senior year next year."

I gave him a sad smile. Though it was all Jacob's choice to drop out of school, I knew it was one he wasn't happy with. With all the times he'd run away to find peace of mind, he missed a lot of school days. He tried making up the classes he needed, but eventually got frustrated and just dropped out. Billy wasn't as disappointed as I thought he'd be, after all his son was an alpha of his own pack. Jacob took his position seriously and poured himself into his 'job' as a way to make up for his shortcomings school wise.

"You ever think about going back?"

"Yeah, but in the end I don't think it'd matter," he said. "I go back to school, work my butt off playing catch up, graduate, then what? I can't exactly go off to college. Not while I still have the pack to lead and the rez to protect."

"And there's the small detail of controlling your phasing."

"That too," he smiled.

"Do you resent being a shape shifter?" I asked.

"No," he answered right away.

"Really? I would've thought you would. Seth, Collin, and Brady seem like they do. Leah definitely resents it."

"I know and I understand where they're coming from," Jacob said. I propped my elbow up and rested my head on my hand. "When we phase, we end up giving up a lot of things. We take on a lot more responsibility than other people our age. I think at one point we all resented it. Giving up our old friends, spending time patrolling and hunting leeches. In the beginning I did resent it. I hated it and I wanted no part in it."

"What changed?"

"I met you," he said, looking at me again. I felt the butterflies in my stomach. I smiled at him and looked away. Another rumble came from outside. It wasn't as loud as the previous ones, but still scared me. I scooted closer to Jacob before resting my head on his arm. He brought his arm down so that it was snaked around my back.

"Distract me some more," I ordered, earning a laugh from Jacob. "Tell me about the first time you phased."

I listened as Jacob recounted his first time phasing. Soon he began to tell me about everyone else's first time phasing. I tried my best to listen and be attentive, but when he got to Quil, I let out a yawn.

"Yeah, Quil's story is kind of boring," Jacob joked. I laughed. I buried my face in his chest and closed my eyes. I felt him start to stroke my hair.

"Good night," I mumbled, sleepily.

"Good night," he answered, before planting a kiss on my head. I smiled. This moment was perfect. Nothing else mattered to me at that moment. It seemed like everything just disappeared from my mind. All that mattered was Jacob. Being with Jacob. Laying with him and holding him, and him hold me. It was perfect.

* * *

><p>Hello readers! I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Get ready because the next chapter is going to be INTENSE! An important question is going to be answered and there may or may not be more new characters on the way. ;) Just be patient because this next chapter might take a while. It's a very important chapter and I want it written well! I don't want to disappoint you guys!<p> 


	27. Chapter 26

**CHAPTER TWENTY SIX**

I woke up the following morning unable to move. I opened my eyes and saw a muscular arm resting across my chest, literally weighing me down. I looked over at a still sleeping Jacob. His back rose and fell with his breaths. I heard his light snores. With difficulty, I managed to get his arm off me. He stirred a bit as I got out of bed.

Remembering about the storm from yesterday, I went over to my window and peered out at the damage. The road in front of the house was littered with leaves and small branches. I noticed the tree that was struck last night lying across the ground, the top of it resting several feet from the house. After seeing enough, I headed to the bathroom for my morning routine of brushing my teeth, washing my face, etc.

I dried my face on my towel as I entered my room again. I noticed my phone blinking on my night stand. I was astounded when I saw that it was already nearing noon. A notification for several missed calls popped up. Before I could see who it was, I felt a hand grab my arm, pulling me on the bed.

"Jacob!" I cried as he pulled me close to him and wrapped his arms and a leg around me. I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but couldn't. I tried my best to sound mad but ended up in a fit of giggles. He didn't say a word. Instead, he nestled his face against my neck. I felt him give a small kiss. "You know it's almost noon."

"Mmm."

"Aunt Cor will probably be home soon and you probably should get going. Your dad might be looking for you."

Another kiss.

"Jacob!" I giggled. It was no use trying to get out of his hold. Every time I tried, he only held on tighter. I placed at kiss on his temple and he returned it with another kiss on my neck. I giggled again. I played with his hair and he continued placing small kisses along my neck. He traveled up to my jaw line and eventually landed a kiss on my lips. I kissed him back and soon our kiss deepened. I ran my fingers through his hair as he pulled me even more closer, our bodies slammed up against one another. Suddenly he broke away from the kiss.

"What?" I breathed, seeing him look over towards the window.

"Nothing," Jacob replied, turning back to me. "I thought I heard something." I pulled him back to me and continued to kiss him. He rolled over and I ended up on top of him. His hands traveled up and down my back. He stopped and abruptly sat up, taking me with him.

"I definitely heard something," Jacob said.

"Aunt Cor's probably back," I offered. I got up from where I was. I suddenly heard voices, deep ones, certainly not belonging to Aunt Cor.

"That doesn't sound like your aunt," Jacob replied, standing up and pulling me back. He motioned for me to stay as he slowly walked to the window. He stood straight up against the wall and ever so slowly peered out.

"Who is it?" I whispered.

"I don't know. I couldn't see their faces. Wait here," he instructed.

"Jacob, what's wrong?"

"Just wait here. Have your phone ready. Do not leave unless I tell you it's safe," he said, his voice sounding very serious.

"What's going on?"

"I smell a leech," he said softly.

"A vampire?" He nodded.

"I'm gonna head downstairs and try to lead it away."

"But I heard more than one voice." He nodded again.

"Yeah, but only one of them is a vampire. I'll try to draw out the leech and I want you to stay here. If you hear anyone try to come in, hide and call Charlie. Tell him what's going on. He knows about everything."

I nodded, realizing everything meant vampires and werewolves. Jacob turned to leave but I grabbed his hand. "Be careful." He nodded and gave me a kiss before heading down the stairs. I was tempted to follow him, but I knew I shouldn't. After all, I had no knowledge about dealing with a vampire. Apparently staking a vampire held no truth to it. Neither did holy water or garlic.

I began to pace my room. I jumped when my phone began to ring. I quickly answered it, fearing the ring tone would lead the vampire and his friends to me.

"Hello?" I answered.

"_Sweetie."_

"Dad." I felt a sense of security having my dad on the phone. Not that he could do much physical wise over the phone, but I knew he would know what to do if anything were to happen. I thought of it as him being Liam Neeson and me being the daughter that was taken. "Stay on the phone with me."

"_What's wrong? Where are you?"_

I bolted out of my room and slowed when I was at the stairs.

"At home, but I think someone's here." I froze when I got to the hall. I saw a silhouette of someone standing on the other side of the front door. The door knob rattled.

I heard my dad chuckle at the end of the laugh. A chuckle also came from the other side of the door. I ran towards the door and swung it open. There stood my dad, cell phone up to his ear and an amused smile on his face. Coach Ross, the football coach from the Gates stood behind him with a small smile on his face as well.

"Dad! Coach Ross? What are you doing here?" I asked. A loud growl ripped through the air. "Jacob!" I cried.

"Dylan!" Coach Ross said simultaneously.

"Mr. Radcliff is here, too?" I asked. They nodded. I felt the blood drain from my face. That was the vampire that Jacob smelled. There was a huge chance that Jacob could kill him any second. I ran past them and headed towards the side forest. I heard my dad and Coach Ross following behind me. I came to halt when I saw Jacob phased as his werewolf counterpart, towering over a figure on the ground. He looked ready to lunge at it, his face twisted with anger.

"What the hell is that?" my dad cried as they neared the scene.

"Jacob, don't!" I yelled. Jacob's wolf head turned to me and growled. Another growl erupted through the air and a wolf, a much smaller one, jumped through the air, aiming for Jacob. Jacob quickly dodged him.

"Go back to the house, Jade!" My dad ordered as he made his way to Dylan. I ignored his ordered and followed him. Dylan was on the ground, still breathing, but definitely unconscious. I heard a whimper and looked up as Jacob's hind leg connected with the small wolf's stomach, sending him into a tree. The little wolf didn't move, but I heard the whimpers. Jacob turned back to us, his sights on the unconscious Dylan. I stood up just as my dad did. He reached inside his jacket and pulled out his gun. Good ol' dad, never leaving home without it. I heard him cock the gun back.

"Dad don't!" I cried.

"I thought I told you to head back to the house, Jade!"

I positioned myself in the line of fire. My dad instantly dropped his gun.

"Jade!" My father yelled.

"Don't shoot him!"

"He's dangerous!"

"No, he isn't!" I turned around and slowly approached Jacob.

"Jade, what the hell are you doing?"

"Jacob, calm down. They're not going to hurt me." Jacob growled. "It's just my dad and his friends." He growled louder and looked over at Dylan. "Dylan's not going to hurt me. He's a good vampire, like the Cullens." Jacob wasn't satisfied with the answer. After all, vegetarian or not, they were still vampires.

"What the hell is going on and why are you talking to that thing like it could understand you?" I heard my dad cry. I rolled my eyes as I heard Jacob make a sound that I assumed to be him laughing.

"Come back when you phase back," I told him. He nodded and slowly backed away, his eyes moving back and forth from the unconscious Dylan to the place where the small wolf landed. The wolf was no longer there, but Coach Ross was. It was then I remembered about him being a werewolf as well.

"I'm gonna need an explanation," my dad told me.

"Later, Dad, right now we need to make sure that they're okay."

"I'm fine," Coach Ross said, sitting up. "I-I think I dislocated my shoulder though and my ribs feel like they're cracked."

My dad walked over to him and held onto Coach Ross' shoulder. I looked away as my dad counted down. I cringed when Ross let out a string of curses as my dad popped his shoulder back in.

"You alright?" my dad asked.

"Yeah, it'll just take a while for the ribs to heal." My dad helped him up. "How's Dylan?"

"Fine," Dylan muttered. He shook his head before sitting up. I heard a chorus of howls, one of them belonging to Jacob.

"We should get inside," I told them, leading the way.

"Wha-"

"There are more of them, Alex," I heard Coach Ross. Without hearing another word from any of them, I heard their footsteps follow mine.

"Alright young lady, where is that explanation I've been asking for?" my dad asked after we filed into the living room. He immediately took the arm chair while Ross and Dylan took the couch. I chose to stand.

"You first, " I told him, crossing my arms.

He chuckled. "No, sorry sweetie. I think I deserve an explanation more than you do. Who's the wolf?"

"Jacob."

"Jacob?" I nodded. "Jacob. Is this the same Jacob that you've been telling your mother about? Your boyfriend?" I nodded again.

"Your boyfriend is a wolf?" he cried, standing up.

"No, he's a shape shifter."

"A shape shifter?"

"Who phases into a wolf."

"So a werewolf," my dad repeated, not looking very happy.

"Not necessarily," Coach Ross joined in. My dad sent him a look that silenced him.

"Dad, Jacob's alright, okay?"

"No, not okay! Did you see how big he was? He could've easily hurt you!"

"No, he would never! He couldn't or else he'd be hurting himself."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nevermind," I said, not wanting to get into the whole imprinting thing. If my dad was freaking out about me having a werewolf as a boyfriend, I wasn't sure how he was going to react when he found out Jacob was pretty much the one I'd spend the rest of my life with.

"Was he the other wolf you smelled?" Dylan asked Ross.

"Yeah, he was."

The front door creaked opened.

"Jacob-"

"Jade!" I froze.

"It's Aunt Cor, she knows nothing about Jacob and what he is, got it?" Ross and Dylan nodded while my dad merely rolled his eyes.

"Sure," he muttered.

"Are you okay? Did you get my message? Your dad is…here," she finished as she entered the living room. "Alexander, what a pleasant surprise."

"Corinne," my dad greeted with a nod. It was then I remembered my mom telling me that my dad and aunt had their differences. This was just getting more and more awkward.

"What's going on?" she asked, probably feeling the tension.

"Nothing, uh, dad and Mr. Radcliff and Coach Ross just got here," I told her.

"Oh, I didn't expect you till later on this afternoon."

"Well, it's good we got here when we did," my dad said. "I got to meet Jade's boyfriend."

"Jacob? He's a nice guy, isn't he?" she smiled a smug smile.

"I'm not sure about that. I doubt nice guys spend the night at their girlfriend's house without a parent or guardian in the house!"

"I was stuck in Seattle, Alex," Aunt Corinne cried. "Besides, Jacob is a good kid. I've known him all his life, his dad raised him right."

"Why would you leave Jade alone in the first place? You're so irresponsible!"

I watched along with Mr. Radcliff and Coach Ross as my dad and aunt argued back and forth. I heard the faint creak of the front door. I edged away from the arguing grownups to see who the new guest was. I smiled as Jacob walked down the hall and towards me. He gave me a small smile. I went over and gave him a hug. He flinched at my touch.

"Are you okay?" He nodded.

"Your aunt here?"

"Yeah," I replied even though he was already well on his way into the living room. I heard the familiar sound of a gun being drawn.

"Alexander put that thing away!"

"Dad! Can you please stop pointing your gun at my boyfriend?" I cried, jumping in front of Jacob. My dad took his time in putting his gun away.

"Don't know why you're so worried," he said. "Isn't he a quick healer?"

I looked at him alarmed.

"If it's the bullets you're worried about, don't worry, they aren't silver."

"Dad!" I glanced at Aunt Corinne. Luckily, she didn't seem to pay any mind to my dad's comments. Instead, her eyes were trained on Jacob.

"Are you alright, Jake?" she asked. I looked over at Jacob. He was leaning against the wall, his left hand clutching this right forearm. His breathing was heavy and slow.

"Jacob? What's wrong?" I rested my hand on his arm. I frowned when his touch lacked the normally high temperature.

"I think he bit me," Jacob said. His eyes darted towards Dylan. Before I could react, Aunt Cor sprung into action.

"How long ago?"

Jacob shrugged.

"Sit down," she ordered Jacob. I led him to the arm chair. "Jade, get something to tie around Jacob's arm and squeeze out as much of the venom as you can."

"Venom?" I asked. I was stunned at what was happening. Jacob just got bit and Aunt Cor was acting like it was something normal and ordinary.

"Jade, you need to do it before it spreads!"

"Here, use this," Dylan unlooped the belt from his coat and handed it to me.

"Where is it?" I asked Jacob. He slowly revealed the two puncture bites on his right forearm. I expected it to be bloodied, but it wasn't. My fingers fumbled at trying to tie the belt.

"Move over," my dad said. He took over in tying the belt like Aunt Cor instructed.

"Did you squeeze out the venom yet?" Aunt Cor asked as she entered, carrying a bowl full of green liquid.

"No," my dad answered gruffly. Aunt Cor pushed him to the side and began to squeeze on Jacob's arm. Jacob gritted his teeth in pain as a clear liquid oozed out of the punctures. The liquid bubbled on Jacob's skin. Aunt Corinne wiped it off. She reached inside the bowl and pulled out a leaf dripping with the green liquid. She placed it over the bites. Her hand hovered over it and she began to mutter something under her breath.

"Drink this," Aunt Cor told Jacob, handing him a small vial. Jacob did as he was told as she began to wrap a bandage over the leaf. "Well, fortunately this wasn't as bad as the ones before."

"Before?" I spoke up. "Y-you've done this before?"

Aunt Cor finally looked at me and nodded.

"So all this time you knew?"

She nodded again. I looked from her to Jacob.

"I hope you're not angry," she said moving to me.

"No, no, I'm not. I'm just…shocked. But it does explain a lot."

"Corinne, you knew all along that Jade was dating a werewolf?" my dad asked, clearly not pleased.

Aunt Cor rolled her eyes at him. "Yes."

"And you let her?"

"It was bound to happen, Alex." I guess that meant she knew about imprinting too.

"You didn't feel the need to tell me and Colleen this?"

"It was sworn to secrecy, Alex. It was not my secret to tell. Tie me up and burn me to death, I'd take all the secrets with me."

"You're a witch," I said, not missing a beat on her meanings.

"Yes, I am," Aunt Corinne said. She looked over at my dad.

"Don't," he began.

"And you are too."

To say I was shocked is an understatement.

"What? No, I'm not." I shook my head.

"Yes you are. Your mother and I come from a long line of witches."

"That's not possible."

"It very well is," Aunt Corinne laughed. "However, you are not an active witch." At this point, I had no words to say. I only continued to stare at her. "Your powers are bound. Your father is not a big fan of magic. Actually he's not a big fan of anything supernatural." Dylan and Ross exchanged knowing smiles. "When your mother had you, she had your powers bound since you can't really strip a witch of her powers completely."

The weight of what I just found out hit me and I felt around for a chair. Jacob held onto my hand and guided me onto his lap, earning a glare from my dad.

"Alright, enough of this," my dad said, waving a dismissive hand in the air. He looked at Jacob. "I think it's time for you to leave."

I gripped Jacob's hand. "No, he's staying."

"What we're about to talk about does not concern him."

"So you think," Aunt Corinne said.

"You don't need to be here, either," my dad told her.

"Dad!" I couldn't believe how rude he was being to her.

"It's fine Jade. I usually don't mind him. Now that my secret is out in the open, I will down in the basement-"

"We have a basement?" I asked. Aunt Cor nodded.

"There's a door in the back of the hallway closet," she said. "I call it my magical lair."

With that she gave a little wave and went on her way.

My dad shook his head and muttered something under his breath.

"I heard that!"

"Anyway, get up Jade, your boyfriend has to leave."

"What is so important that you three flew all the way here to talk to me?" I asked, not moving from Jacob's lap.

"We're here looking for Brett," he said. I resisted the urge to look at Jacob. Doing so would've hinted my dad that we knew something.

"And you think he's here?" I asked, trying to sound confused.

"We were told he was here last week." He had me there. "Is that true?"

I nodded. "He stopped by my party to wish me a happy birthday."

"Is that so?" It was a battle of wits between father and daughter.

"Yeah, he told me he was on Spring Break and was checking out colleges around Seattle. He heard I was close by and decided to visit."

"And he just so happened to find you just like that?"

"It's a small town, Dad. Everyone knows everyone." My dad watched my closely, no doubt looking for signs of me lying.

"You haven't seen him since?" he finally asked.

"No," I answered truthfully.

"Are you sure, Jade?" Coach Ross asked me. "I asked Lexie myself, and she wouldn't dare lie to me."

"I'm sure. I haven't seen him. I don't know where he is."

My dad turned to Dylan and Ross.

"He has to be here, I would've known if one of my members was lying to me."

"What if Brett lied to Lexie?" Dylan offered.

"It's possible."

"Possible, but it doesn't get us anywhere." I took this time to glance over at Jacob. Whatever Aunt Cor did, he seemed to be feeling better.

"Why are you looking for him anyway?" I asked.

"He's a suspect in McAllister's murder."

"You think Brett killed McAllister?"

"He was spotted heading into the forest the night McAllister was killed," my dad explained. "Mrs. Radcliff literally ran him over in front of the Gates. She said he was running out of the forest. He had to be taken to the hospital. It was around the same time of McAllister's death. I went in to question him the day after and he was gone. Apparently looking for colleges in Seattle was more important than recovering."

I took a minute to absorb this information. Not once did I consider that Brett was the murderer of Mr. McAllister. To think I considered going away with him to find Conor.

"If you know anything, Jade, tell us," my dad said, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"Why do you think Brett would come back here?" I asked.

"To protect you," Jacob answered. I turned to him in surprise.

"What?"

"You know something worth sharing?" my dad asked him.

"After Brett came here, I told him to leave and to never come back." Jacob turned his eyes onto me. "I got him to agree, but he said he'd return only if he felt you were in danger."

Jacob and I looked at one another. Whatever he was trying to tell me was interrupted when my dad spoke.

"Danger? From what?" I looked to my dad and back at Jacob. Jacob gave me a small nod of encouragement. It was time to tell the truth. I took a deep breath.

"When Brett came here last week, he said I was in danger."

"Yes, I got that, but why?" my dad pressed.

"From Conor," I said quietly.

"Your brother?" Dylan asked. I nodded.

"Brett was there the night McAllister was killed, but he didn't do it. Conor did."

"At least that's what he claims," Jacob added. "He also claims that Conor is a vampire."

I waited for my dad to react. It seemed like every second that passed was an hour.

"Dad?"

He nodded.

"I was hoping it wouldn't be true," he finally said, sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"My people got wind of someone, another vampire causing trouble in the nearby cities," Dylan said.

"The same cities where there were supposed sightings of Conor. Of course, whenever we got there to check it out, it would lead us to no where."

"Why didn't you tell me about this?" I asked.

"I didn't want to get your hopes up, sweetie," my dad said.

"So you believe he's a vampire?" Jacob asked.

My dad shrugged, but eventually nodded.

"If that's true then everything Brett has been saying might have some truth to it," Jacob said. "If Brett is back here, it's because he thinks you're in danger."

I shook my head, not believing what I was hearing.

"Jade, if your brother is a vampire, he might not have control over himself," Dylan told me. "If he's been running around on his own then it's safe to say that no one's helped him get used to being a vampire."

"Yeah, newborns are the worse," Jacob said.

"Okay, if he's a vampire then why is he coming after me?" We all turned to Dylan.

"Well, when we turn we remember everything from our living life. We miss certain things we had while we were living, bonds with family and friends being the most important. There's a chance that Conor wishes to turn you so you can be a vampire alongside him."

"What?"

"That's not going to happen," Jacob spoke. "I'm not gonna give him the chance to get near you." He stood up, clearly feeling back to one hundred percent.

"Neither am I," my dad said. "Jade, pack your bags, we're leaving."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm getting you out of here. You're obviously not safe here!"

"She's not safe anywhere!" Jacob cried. "You take her back to the Gates, there's a chance your son will find her."

"Then we'll go somewhere else," my dad challenged.

"Alex, Jacob has a point," Dylan reasoned. "If Conor does want to harm Jade, he can just track her."

"She can stay here, I'll protect her. I can take care of her," Jacob said pleadingly.

My dad narrowed his eyes at Jacob.

"Okay, stop it," I said, getting in between them. "Can we just take this down a notch? I'm pretty sure we're making a big deal out of nothing. We don't know anything for sure until we talk to Brett."

"Wherever the hell he is," Coach Ross scoffed.

"Fine, I'll talk to Sam so we could do a patrol. We'll look for Brett and Conor, kill two birds with one stone."

"First smart thing you've said." I rolled my eyes at my dad.

"Yeah, we'll need all the help we could get," Coach Ross said. Jacob nodded then looked over at Dylan. I could tell he was trying his best not to growl or attack Dylan.

"He's gonna have to stay. My pack won't take kindly to him."

"Understood," Dylan said, holding his hands up. "And my sincerest apologies about earlier. I was on the defense."

Jacob only nodded.

"So go on and get your pack," my dad said moving his hand as if shooing Jacob away.

"I'll go with you," Ross said. "I'll be able to sense Brett better than you guys."

"Uh, Ross, a word?" my dad nodded his head towards the kitchen. Jacob and I watched as they stalked out of the living room. Soon the sound of water running and the microwave whirring was heard.

"Your dad really does not like me," Jacob said sounding amused. I gave him a smile.

"He's a cop, he doesn't like anyone I date."

"Well, you should let him know he's gotta get used to me cause you're pretty much stuck with me." My smile widened and I tippy toed to give him a kiss. The moment was ruined by the sound of my cell phone. Jacob pouted while I fished brought out my phone.

"It's Alice," I announced. "Hello?"

"_Why are you leaving without saying goodbye?"_

"What are you talking about? I'm not leaving."

"_But I just saw you on a plane back to Louisiana."_

I looked at Jacob who seemed to have heard what Alice said. He frowned then cast a glance towards the kitchen.

"Alice, who did you see with me in your vision?"

"_Your dad. At least you called him your dad. Is your dad here?"_

"Yeah, he is. I'll call you back Alice."

"_Wait, are you leaving or not?"_

"No," I said. "Never." I made sure to look at Jacob when I spoke the last part. It was my way of reassuring him that I wasn't planning on leaving.

"_Oh, good!"_ Alice did sound genuinely happy. _"I'll talk to you later then!"_

Jacob wasted no time in talking the second I hung up the phone.

"New plan," he said. Before I could ask my dad entered the room, his two sidekicks in tow.

"You're still here?"

"Yeah, I was just telling Jade that I had an even better plan."

"Is that so? I think your first plan was perfect. You should get going on gathering up your pack. We'll stay here with Jade in case Brett comes here or something."

"Actually, I know a better place where Jade can stay and she'll be 100% safe and protected," he said, giving my dad a mischievous smile.

* * *

><p>Review, review, review! Only a few more chapters and this fanfic is complete!<p> 


	28. Author's Note

I just wanted to let all my readers know that I have not forgotten about this fanfic! I've just been swamped with work and school, but I will be getting back to this soon (as in maybe a week or two)! I really can't wait to finish this fanfic and see how you all like it!

Thank you for reading this! Your feedback has been awesome!


	29. Chapter 27

"_This_ is what your boyfriend considers as safe?" my dad muttered beside me.

We were seated on the couch in the Cullen's living room. My dad sat to my left while Coach Ross was on my right. Dylan seemed quite comfy standing and conversing with Carlisle and Esme.

"Dad, first off, his name is Jacob and second, the Cullens are good people, just like Dylan and Claire."

I smiled as Alice took the love seat with Jasper. I suddenly felt calm and I knew that Jasper was using his ability to help my dad. Emmett and Rosalie were off to the side, in their own little world while Edward and his family were absent.

Suddenly everyone's attention went over to the window. I looked around and I saw my dad do the same.

"The fleabags are here," Emmett announced.

"Emmett, play nice," Esme said.

"Finally," my dad said standing up. "I need to have a little talk with that guy of yours."

I rolled my eyes but followed him towards the front door. Once we got outside, my dad stopped abruptly. I smiled seeing his wide eyed expression as he looked at the nine wolves before him.

"Hi guys," I waved. Some of them nodded their heads while the others let out a friendly bark.

"Holy cow," Coach Ross said as he joined us out in front of the house. "They're huge!"

"Yeah, we get that a lot." Jacob emerged from the trees. He was the only one in his human form.

"Not really," Bella said as she appeared coming from the side of the house. Edward was close behind her, carrying Renesme on his back. The second she saw the wolves, she hopped off and ran to the sandy colored werewolf. Seth immediately bowed his head down and Renesme climbed up onto his back. I couldn't help but smile.

"There's more of them?" my dad asked, frowning at the sight of the small family.

"Yes, this is my son Edward," Carlisle said, as he stepped out of the house. "His wife Bella and their daughter Renesme."

"Daughter?" my dad asked confused.

"How does that work?" Coach Ross asked in a low voice.

"Jacob!" my dad yelled before anyone could provide Coach Ross with an answer. "A word!"

Jacob gave me a questioning look and I shrugged. He walked over to where my dad waited for him. I strained to hear what was being said while everyone else seemed to be trying to ignore them.

"What are they saying?" I asked Edward and Bella.

"Your dad isn't exactly pleased that you two are here with us."

"Yeah, he's iffy with the supernatural," I told them.

"Well, Jacob deceiving your dad and bringing him here without telling him about us doesn't help."

"I thought he wasn't allowed to reveal what you guys were," I countered.

Edward nodded his head in agreement.

"Still, Jacob isn't being very respectful to your father."

"And my dad isn't being respectful to Jacob either."

"Don't mind him," Bella told me. "Edward here is all about respect and being a gentleman."

"I know," I smiled. "But Jacob isn't Edward, now is he?"

"Far from it," Bella smiled.

I turned back in time to see my dad walking my way while Jacob walked towards the wolves.

"Everything good?" I asked.

"Sure," he said. "Considering the fact that we're here in a house full of vampires with a pack of werewolves not far behind, one of them being your boyfriend, and the other fact of having my vampire son hunting down my dear daughter, everything is good."

It was at that moment that I noticed how tired my dad looked. He looked worn out.

"Dad, we'll be fine," I reassured him with a hug. "For all we know, we could be wrong about everything."

"I'd prefer if everything that happened the past months just ended up being a really sick and twisted dream."

I didn't know how to respond to that.

"Sam and a few of the others went to phase back," Jacob announced as he neared us.

"I'll see you inside, sweetie," my dad said, placing a kiss on my forehead before disappearing in the house.

"Leah, Paul, Collin, and Brady are gonna stay phased and patrol around the area," Jacob continued, stopping beside me. I felt him snake his arm around my waist and I moved in closer. "You okay?"

I nodded. "Just worried for my dad."

"He does have a lot on his mind," Edward said.

"I know," I said. I closed my eyes and leaned in against Jacob. The touch of his warm skin against my cheek brought me back to the night before. Snuggling with him and falling asleep in his arms. It was perfect. The only thing that could match that was waking up with him still holding me. I replayed the events of that morning, waking up and seeing Jacob beside me. Him pulling me back into bed with him. Kissing him.

Someone cleared their throat. I opened my eyes and realized that I was still in the company of Edward and Bella. Edward gave me a stern look then turned a disapproving gaze on Jacob. I blushed, realizing that Edward probably saw everything that I had thought about.

"We should get inside," I said, quickly unwrapping myself from Jacob. I looked straight ahead as I entered the house, not wanting anyone to see the rosiness in my cheeks.

It didn't take long for the others to follow. I sat on the couch, sandwiched between Bella and Alice, while our significant others stood behind us. Sam, Embry, Quil, Jared, and Seth filed into the living room. Seth immediately found his way to Renesme while the others stayed near the door.

I sat in silence as Carlisle formally introduced everyone. My head was rested on my hands as I watched them discuss what was going on. It was clear that there were four leaders in the room: Carlisle, Jacob, Sam, and my dad. I felt a nudge from my left and I looked at Alice just as I felt my phone vibrate. I smiled at her gratefully and pulled out my cellphone. Brett's number flashed across the screen. I instantly covered it and looked to see if anyone saw. I quickly got up and moved to exit the living room.

"Where are you going?" my dad asked.

"Uh, the bathroom."

"Down the hallway to your right," Alice said. I gave her another smile and a nod.

I stole one last glance around the room. I saw Edward whispering something to Jacob and I only hoped that he wasn't telling him about Brett calling me. I knew they were looking for him, but I needed to speak with him first.

"Hello?" I answered once I was safe in the bathroom with the water running.

"_Jade!"_

"Brett, where the hell are you? My dad, Dylan, and Coach Ross are here looking for you!"

"_Yeah I know. I was testing out a theory, didn't exactly turn out the way I hoped."_ I heard the sound of cars in the background.

""What do you mean? What's going on?"

"_You're never gonna believe me." _

"Try me."

"_You're not gonna like it."_

"Brett, just tell me!" I cried, though I tried my best to keep my voice down.

"_Conor killed Lukas_."

"No, no, no. That's not possible. Lexie said it was a werewolf."

"_Yeah, running on its hind legs."_

"So now you're saying my brother is werewolf?"

"_Yup. A vampire-werewolf hybrid to be exact._" I forced out a laugh even though what he said was nowhere near funny.

"That's not possible."

"_Oh, believe me, it is. I wouldn't have believed it myself until I saw him…transform."_

"Oh boy," I said, running a hand through my hair. "Where are you now?"

"_Nearby. I've been trying to track him, but I lost him. All I know is that he's nearing Forks."_

"Jacob and his pack are planning on running patrols to find Conor."

"_Tell them to hold off! They don't know what their dealing with!"_

Without hesitation I ran out the bathroom and back to the living room. Instantly I felt some sort of tension in the air.

"What's going on?" I asked, my curiosity suddenly became a priority.

No one answered. Emmett gave me a look, like he was trying to keep from laughing. The same went for Embry.

"It's not your business what Jade and I do!" I heard Jacob say.

"True, but I'm merely saying that it's best to wait. Bella and I-" Edward stopped the second he entered the room. Jacob appeared beside him, looking mad at first then a bit embarrassed. Emmett and Embry seemed to enjoy the uncomfortable silence that followed, leaving everyone including my dad, time to digest and figure out what they were talking about.

"Jade!" Alice said, breaking the silence. "Anything you wanna share?"

"Yeah!" I cried, thankful for the change in subject. I held up my phone. "Brett's on the phone." I put my phone against my ear and double checked that he was still there.

"Where is he?" my dad asked as he charged towards me. He took the phone from me. "Brett, where are you?"

I listened to the one sided conversation. It wasn't until I saw everyone else watching my dad intently that I remembered about their super hearing ability.

Jacob walked over to the other La Push guys and they all had a little discussion.

"Brett," Coach Ross suddenly had my phone now. "Get here as fast as you can. We're gonna need your help. You're the only one who knows most about…Conor."

"I'm not gonna sit around and wait for him," Jacob said. "We're gonna go head out and start patrolling."

"No," I told him. "Jacob you can't. You don't know what you're dealing with."

"A mutated vampire," Jacob simply said. "He's still a vampire, Jade. And he's after you."

"He's my brother."

"He wants to turn you into a vampire," Jacob told me.

"We don't know that. We don't know anything until Brett gets here!"

"He's right, sweetheart," my dad said, walking towards me and Jacob. "I'm not taking any chances with you. If there's a small chance that you're going to get hurt, I want to make sure it doesn't happen."

"But Dad-"

"Jacob and his pack should patrol and just make sure Conor doesn't get near here. Once Brett gets here, we'll all reconvene and see what he has to say and go from there."

I opened my mouth to argue, but I knew it was settled.

"Let's go," Sam said, leading them out the door. Jacob was the last of them and I followed behind him.

"Jacob-"

"My mind's made up, Jade."

"I know," I sighed dejectedly. "Just be careful okay?"

He stopped and turned around. He cupped my cheek.

"I will. You stay inside and don't go anywhere without telling anyone or having one of the Cullens with you."

I nodded, not minding how overprotective he was being. As of the moment I was more concerned for him…and my brother. If anything were to happen, someone was going to get hurt, and either way it was going to be someone I cared about. He kissed my forehead and began to walk away.

"What's gonna happen if you do find him?" I called out.

Jacob stopped and turned. "I don't know. Depends on what happens and depends on who finds him first."

I felt a lump in my throat and I tried my best not to think of the worst. I felt tears come to my eyes. Jacob was fast to close the distance between us and pulled me into his arms.

"Everything's gonna be fine," he told me. He lifted my chin so that my eyes were looking into his. "I know you're worried for your brother, but I promise that I won't do anything to hurt your brother. I'll find him before the others will and chase him away."

"Thank you," I muttered. He gave me another kiss on the forehead, then my nose, and lastly my lips.

"Get inside," Jacob told me, gently pushing me towards the door. He waited as I slowly entered back into the Cullen's household. Once the door was safely shut, I peered out the window and saw him running towards the forest.

I walked back to the living where the Cullens along with my dad, Coach Ross, and Dylan were. My dad was conversing with Coach Ross while Dylan was back to talk with Carlisle and Esme. Emmett and Rosalie were nowhere to be found, and the same could be said for Edward and Bella.

Alice and Jasper were seated on the couch, while Renesme stayed near the window, looking out. I assumed Jasper was using his ability since he looked so concentrated, especially on my dad. I took my place beside Alice.

"I don't suppose you can see what's going to happen," I said.

She shook her head and gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry Jade, I can't. Not with those mutts in the way. And if your brother is a hybrid, I wouldn't be able to see him either."

I sighed. "I can't believe this is happening."

"Don't worry, Jade, things will work out in the end," Alice told me.

"He's here," Coach Ross said, standing up and heading to the front door. I shot up and made a move to follow.

"Stay here, Jade," my dad said, clamping a hand down on my shoulder. I obeyed and remained where I was. Coach Ross returned to the living room this time with Brett right behind him.

"Jade! Are you okay?" he asked me, going straight to me. I nodded as he threw his arms around me.

"Alright, enough," my dad said, pulling us apart. "I want answers Brett! What the hell is going on?"

"Conor's a hybrid."

"I know that, but what the hell does he want with Jade?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." My dad sighed in frustration. "All I know is that he kept telling me that Jade was in danger and that he didn't know if he could control himself. I'm assuming he meant his werewolf part which is probably already close by."

"Because you led him here," my dad countered.

"No, you did."

"How did you know about Conor in the first place?" Coach Ross asked.

Brett took a deep breath, his eyes looking at me. "I saw him in the woods one time."

"When?"

"A couple of months ago…"

"And you didn't tell anyone?" my dad shouted.

"Dad!"

"He threatened my mom," Brett said, evenly.

"More of a reason to have informed the packs," Coach Ross stated.

"Gentlemen," Carlisle intervened. "I believe we still have a problem here on our hands."

"Right," Dylan agreed. "Jade is in danger. I'm sure you two can agree that's something we need to take care of."

Brett and my dad nodded.

"Just a quick run down: my son is a vampire-werewolf monster who may or may not be after my daughter who is dating a shapeshifter-"

"Not important dad," I rolled my eyes as he waved a dismissive hand at me. I opened my mouth to say something but a familiar howl caught my attention.

"Jacob!" I ran out the living room.

"Wait, Jade!" I ignored them and bounded out the front door.

"Jacob!" I yelled. Another howl echoed around me. The hairs on my neck stood as the tone of the howl registered. It sounded panicked.

"Jade! Get inside!" I heard Brett cry as he made his way down the steps and towards me. I turned just as something horrible looking and monstrous appeared from the edge of the forest. I didn't dare glance back but pumped my legs to go faster.

"He's here!" Brett shouted towards the house. "Get inside, Jade, now!" He pushed past me as he jumped, phased in midair and landed against the…thing. _Conor_, I had to remind myself.

Coach Ross was the first to come out followed by Dylan, Emmett, and Jasper. Coach Ross wasted no time in phasing and throwing himself at Conor. When I neared the front door, I finally turned. I gasped at what I saw.

A huge wolf stood on its hind legs, growling and snarling. It was as tall as Jacob was when he was in human form. Its fur was a dark black and it had bright red eyes. Sharp claws were at the end of its long arms.

"Jade get inside!" I heard my dad call. I couldn't move my legs, the sight of Conor's werewolf side froze me onto my spot. Suddenly I felt pulling and realized my dad was pulling me inside.

"I can't believe this shit," I heard him mutter as he pulled out his gun.

"Dad! What are you doing?" I asked.

"Saving your brother."

"Dad, you can't-"

A loud roar ripped through the air and shouts were heard. My dad and I looked up to see Conor throw Emmett and Jasper into a tree then jumping on Brett. I stared in horror as Conor's claws ripped through Brett's side and blood instantly poured out.

A gunshot came. This caught Conor's attention and he stared right at me and my dad.

My dad aimed his gun at him. A small whimper came from Conor but quickly a growled escaped. I grabbed the gun and aimed it elsewhere.

"Jade! What are you doing?"

"Conor, run! Get out of here!" I yelled at him, not sure if he understood me. Jacob's howl cut through the air and I knew he was closer. Conor took a step towards where it came from. "Conor, just leave!"

With that last bit of warning, Conor fled from the scene, faster than I ever saw any of the other wolves run. A few seconds later, Jacob's wolf form bounded out from between the trees. He glanced in my direction before speeding up to where Conor ran off to.

"Damn it, Jade!" my dad cried. "We could've ended everything right there!"

I ignored him as the sound of groaning caught my attention.

"Brett," I said under my breath. I ran to a naked Brett's side. The blood oozing out of the big gash on his side didn't even seem to bother me. "A-are you okay?"

"Yeah," he said, though his breathing was labored.

"Here, put this on," Carlisle said, appearing next to me with a thick black robe in his hand. Brett slowly reached for it, and began to cover his body. "I'll take a look at that wound inside."

"It's fine," Brett said, with a pained smirk. "I'm a werewolf. I'll heal…eventually."

"Let's all head inside."

Carlisle helped Brett to the house as Esme wrapped an arm around me.

"Thing's will be fine," she assured me. I didn't answer. Maybe because I knew deep down that she was wrong.

* * *

><p>Here's the new chapter! I apologize for the looooong wait! I have been busy. I hope you enjoy this chapter and I will try to update more often! Only a few more chapters remain! Reviews are always appreciated! Let me know what you're thinking! ;)<p> 


	30. Chapter 28

"Stop pacing, you're giving me a headache!"

"Sorry." I stopped and turned to face Brett. He was laying on a hospital bed that the Cullens just happened to have in their den.

"Everything will be fine, Jade."

I nodded even though I didn't agree. I wished everyone would stop being so optimistic. I knew it that everything wasn't going to be fine. I could feel it. I had a bad feeling about how things were going to end. I found myself suddenly in front of the glass doors, looking out into the forest.

"Jade, step away from there. You never know if Conor will-"

"Smash through the glass and kill me?"

"Not funny," Brett said, clearly not amused.

"Sorry," I repeated. "Sorry! God, this sucks! All this waiting and fighting and supernatural bullshit!"

I banged my fists against the wall, then rested my forehead on them.

"Calm down, Jade, or I'll tell Doctor Fangs over there to sedate you or something."

"If only, then I wouldn't have to be awake for any of this…" I muttered.

"Don't say that-"

"No, then I can wake up and then I'd think that everything was just a really bad nightmare. And everyone can pretend that none of this happened and I'll be back to thinking that I live in a normal world without vampires and werewolves and freaky hybrid brothers."

"Alright, now you're really starting to scare me."

I sighed and walked over to where Brett was. I plopped at the foot of the bed.

"I'm sorry…again. I'm just…" I let out a chuckle. "This is just crazy. It's overwhelming. I'm… Honestly, I'm feeling so many things I feel…numb."

Brett was quiet. He studied me for a minute before speaking again.

"You're scared."

"Yeah," I nodded. "My brother may or may not be trying to kill me."

"But, mostly you're worried."

"Of course. Who knows what's going on right now? Who knows whether or not they caught Conor and killed him?"

"No, I don't think that's it. I mean, yeah you're worried about that, but I think you're more worried about Jacob."

"What?" I asked in surprised. "You think I'm more worried about Jacob than my own brother?"

"You must really care about him…a lot," Brett answered instead.

Before I could answer, I heard the sound of the front door opening and footsteps coming in.

"I'll be fine here," Brett said, nodding his head to urge me out. It only took me a second to go from the den to the living room.

"What happened?"

"Nothing," Emmett said angrily. "Little shit is fast as hell."

"Couldn't get a scent off him either," Rosalie said.

"Alice can't get any visions of him either," Edward spoke.

"Maybe Jake and them got better luck," Bella said, nodding outside. Everyone migrated towards the front door and I could only assume that they wolves were back. Once outside, I saw the familiar wolf form of Seth, followed by Leah and the rest of Jacob's pack. The only one absent was the one and only alpha himself.

"He sent them back here," Edward said, reading my mind. Rustling from trees nearby produce a big black wolf. The other alpha followed by his pack.

"Where is Jacob?" I asked, starting to panic about Jacob being the only one absent.

"Leah said he ordered them to get back here and Sam and his pack thought that Jacob's pack caught your brother."

"So really, no one has that freak."

"Emmett," Esme warned.

"Sorry, Jade." I dismissed his insult and apology with a wave of my hand. I was still too worried about Jacob.

"Have you guys seen Jacob?" I asked among the werewolves. Sam began to shake his head but stopped and lifted his head towards the trees.

"He's here," Edward said. I didn't need Edward to tell me. A part of me knew that Jacob was back.

"Jade don't you take another step!"

Jacob emerged from the trees, his russet fur covered with mud and twigs. He was limping and his breathing was labored.

"Jacob!" I cried making my way towards him. I stopped short when he collapsed on the ground. "What happened to him?"

The wolves all crowded around me.

Leah started growling and soon small growls resounded throughout the group. It was enough to scare me and make me jump back. Alice instantly pulled me back and Jasper stood in front of us.

"Edward? What's going on?" Bella asked, clutching onto her husband's arm.

"He had him. He was able to catch your brother, Jade."

"He was? Well, where is he?"

"Jacob let him go," Edward sighed. "The packs aren't too pleased about it either. But he said he made a promise to you and he wouldn't break it…"

"You let him go?!" Everyone turned at the sound of Brett's voice. "Are you freakin' serious? You could've ended it all right there and then and you let him go?"

Jacob let out a growl. Leah snarled and snapped near Jacob's ear. Jacob quickly shot up and growled back at Leah, nipping her at her side in the process. A whine escaped from Leah and Sam instantly positioned himself in front of Leah.

"They have every right to be pissed," Brett continued, making his way down from the front of the house. "If Conor comes back and kills Jade, it's all on you, you understand that don't you?"

"Brett…" Coach Ross warned.

"Some protector you are. I should've taken Jade out of here when I had the chance!"

Jacob leapt towards Brett but was tackled by Emmett. Quil and Embry jumped in, whether to help Jacob or Emmett, I didn't know.

"Emmett, what are you doing?" Carlisle cried. "Stop it!"

Emmett obeyed his father and jumped off Jacob. Embry and Quil were quick to block Jacob from trying to attack Emmett back.

"Enough! If you two boys want to continue fighting over my daughter, then be my guest. I, for one, would rather spend the time trying to find out what the hell to do next!"

"Sam says they simply won't allow Conor to roam free."

"How could I help, Sam?" my dad asked, looking towards the big black wolf.

"You can't be serious, dad! Do you know what Sam means? They want to _kill_ Conor."

"Jade, please, that monster is not your brother."

"How could you say that?!"

"Jade, he killed Lukas," Brett reminded me quietly.

"We look out for our own, Jade," Coach Ross said. "We can't let Conor get away with what he did."

"And though, McAllister wasn't a pleasant person, he was still one of us."

"And you look out for your own, too," I said bitterly. Dylan averted his gaze.

"Don't worry, Jade. I do not agree with this," Carlisle said, giving me a small smile. He made his way beside me. "I cannot condone any killing, especially if it is to a family member of a friend of ours."

Esme joined beside her husband, reaching for my hand and giving it a small squeeze.

"Edward?" Bella asked. She looked torn.

"We owe them," I heard him tell her. "Then there's Renesme to think about." Edward looked over to Carlisle. They seemed to have an unspoken conversation with each other.

"We'll help you capture him, but that's it," Carlisle said suddenly. I looked in surprised at Carlisle.

"My apologies Jade, but I do have my own family's well-being to think about."

"Everyone's all in? Let's get inside and talk this through," my dad said, leading the group inside.

I stayed rooted in my spot. Alice came up to me and gave me a hug.

"I can't promise you that everything will be alright."

"I know," I told her. She seemed surprise. "I have a feeling that it will end badly no matter what we decide."

She gave me a reassuring smile before disappearing into the house. Edward and Bella passed by me, mumbling their apologies. I only nodded. I watched as the wolves slowly backed in the woods. Sam was the first to appear in his human form. He didn't look me in the eye as he passed by. Jacob soon appeared.

"Are you okay?" I asked, running to him and embracing him. His arms found their way around me.

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

I shrugged. His tights wrapped tighter.

"I'm sorry," he murmured. "I tried. Hopefully your brother took my advice and got the hell out of here or else he won't have a chance."

"Maybe he will," I said. "Come on, let's get inside before they decide on something without us."

We walked hand in hand inside the house. Everyone was gathered in the living room, their voices overlapping one another.

"How are we gonna get this thing?" Emmett asked loudly, getting everyone's attention.

"We work together," Edward said, looking towards Sam who quickly nodded his head.

"Just to be clear, once we capture Conor-" Carlisle began.

"Leave the rest up to us," Sam finished for him.

"Well, if it's alright, seeing that McAllister did turn him," Dylan began. "Ross and I were interested in bringing him back to the Gates so our people can deal with him."

"And risk him getting away?" my dad cried.

"Yeah, Coach, I say we just kill him the second we get a chance. We can't risk him getting away again," Brett said.

"Wait," I cried. "Look, I understand why you guys want my brother dead. But isn't it worth a look to see if we can turn him back. We don't even know how he became a hybrid in the first place. All we know is that McAllister turned him, but we don't know how he got the werewolf side."

"It does not matter, Jade," my dad told me. "Honey, just accept the fact that this….thing, this monster, is not the same Conor that you and I both knew." I opened my mouth to protest but he cut me off. "Think of all the murders, Jade. All of the people he killed."

"But he couldn't help it!"

"Which makes him all the more dangerous! If he can't control himself, how can we control him?"

"We have to at least try!"

"Jade, he's coming after you," Brett said. "He's going to kill you."

"And you're sure of this how? You saw earlier that he had the chance to hurt me, but he didn't. I told him to run and he did. He understood me! We have to try!"

"You're willing to risk everyone getting hurt to try?" my father asked. "Look around Jade. They all have families of their own. Are you asking them to risk their life to save your brother?"

I looked away, not knowing what to say.

"What if Conor got to Jacob?" my father asked. "Could you forgive yourself? Or your brother? Would you still want him back then?"

Something about what my father said stirred something in me. The thought of not having Jacob upset me.

I shook my head as tears fell from my eyes.

"Fine," I said reluctantly. "Do what you have to do then."

My father nodded his head. Jacob wrapped an arm around me and I leaned on him as I listened quietly.

"All we know is that he's fast. We can't smell him and our gifts pretty much are useless against him."

"If he's too fast for you guys then he's definitely too fast for us," Sam said.

"Leah almost had him," Jacob informed the group. "She's the fastest out of all of us, but still not fast enough, apparently."

"Do you wolves have any other special skills you can utilize?" my dad asked.

Sam nodded. "Jared can pretty much see the best out of all us. He can spot things miles away, even in the dark."

"And Seth has the best hearing."

"Then there's your werewolf telepathy."

"What's that?" my dad asked.

"It's how we communicate amongst ourselves while we're in wolf form," Jacob explained.

"That's good then! You wolves can spread out and communicate where Conor was last seen!"

"Drawback is, I can't hear anything from Sam's pack unless he repeats it in his mind and vice versa."

"That is a problem, but not a big one," my dad said.

"I still don't hear how we can help," Emmett said.

"Yeah, we'll pretty much senseless when it comes to this hybrid."

"Not entirely," Brett said. "Last I checked you guys can do one thing us wolves can't."

"Which is?"

"Climb trees. You guys get the top vantage point then I'm pretty sure you'll be able to see something."

"Good idea, Brett," Coach Ross said.

I rolled my eyes as everyone murmured excitedly. At that point in time, the thought of all of them being monsters crossed my mind briefly. Edward stole a glance at me, but I ignored it. I made my way to the kitchen, my action only seen by Edward and Esme.

"Hungry?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah, I guess I am. Haven't eaten all day." She smiled and began rummaging through the fridge. Pretty soon, we were silently working on sandwiches. We had a whole three platefuls and Esme gracefully balanced all the plates on her arms.

"Staying here?"

I nodded, picking at the remains of my sandwich. She gave a motherly smile then disappeared into the living room.

It wasn't long until Brett made his way into the kitchen.

"What are you doing here? You're missing out on all the hybrid werewolf-vampire hunting planning party."

"Yeah, well, despite my contributions to the plan, I have been voted to stay and stand watch."

"Must suck to be injured."

"Coach Ross is staying behind, too. Along with your dad."

"Fun," I said sarcastically.

"Look, Jade, I know this isn't easy, but are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine," I answered quickly.

"Come on-"

"You're right. Everyone's right. Conor's a…monster. He killed innocent people. Sure, he didn't choose to be what he was," I paused. Something about that statement bothered me. It was like something was trying to correct me.

"What?"

"Nothing," I sighed.

"Jade, it's honesty time. I know things between us are….were…complicated, but I'm still your friend, right?" I nodded. "And frankly, I think I know you more than any of those other people in there. So tell me, how are you really?"

"Everyone's right. Conor can't be roaming around freely especially if there's a chance he'll attack more people. I just wish…I just wish I could see him one last time and say a proper good bye. I wish I could see him as his old Conor self, not this freaky werewolf hybrid."

"Jade," called a melodic voice that belonged only to Alice.

"The hunting party awaits," Brett joked.

I gave him a wry smile and walked beside him towards the living room.

Everyone was huddled in small groups, murmuring and giving nervous glances.

"Jake's outside," Bella offered with a smile. I nodded with a tight smile and headed out. Sure enough, Jacob was outside standing with Sam and the other boys. Their little group dispersed as I approached them.

"Hey," he greeted softly. I didn't answer but instead wrapped my arms around him. Immediately he did the same.

"I'm sorry-"

"Are you really going through with this?" I asked him.

"Yes." I buried my face in his chest, feeling my eyes well up with tears. "Jade," he said, lifting my chin up so that I was staring at him. "I know this is really hard for you, but I intend on keeping my promise."

"You won't hurt him?"

"As long as I get to him first again, this time I'll make sure he stays away for sure." I hugged him tightly. "But…" I looked up again.

"But?"

"I won't hurt him, but the second that he does anything to hurt you, then I can't make any promises."

I slowly nodded my understanding. "It won't come to that. He won't hurt me."

Jacob only nodded, but I saw the doubt in his eyes. He leaned down for a kiss. When we pulled away we heard the rest of the hunting party emerge from the house.

"Your dogs, ready?" Emmett asked.

"Just waiting on you leeches," Jacob was quick to reply.

"Alright, enough. Everyone get ready," my dad ordered.

Jacob kissed my temple and I closed my eyes, cherishing every second I had left before he went out to hunt down my brother. I felt him tug on my hand and I followed him towards the house. I was surprised when we stopped in front of Brett.

"Watch her closely," Jacob said. "Don't let her out of your sight."

Brett nodded. He seemed to be as surprised as I was that Jacob was entrusting him to watch me. This thought instilled even more fear into me. I quickly shook the thought of this being the last time I might see Jacob. I had to keep myself together.

Jacob turned to leave, but I kept hold on to his hand. I jumped and placed another kiss on him.

"_You_ take care of yourself," I told him. "Don't keep me waiting forever." It was my way of saying for him not to get killed.

"You better go," Brett said. Jacob squeezed my hand and went on his way. "Come on Jade."

I let Brett lead me into the house. Coach Ross and my dad were seated already back in the living room.

Seth and Renesme were situated on the couch.

"Didn't join in?" I asked Seth. He slowly shook his head.

"I didn't want to…It didn't feel right," he said softly. His words moved me to tears. It felt good to know that at least someone was on my side. I gave him a smile.

"Jade, I want you to stay in this living room. If you need to go somewhere, you let me, Ross, or Brett know."

"Yes sir," I muttered as I plopped on the arm chair.

"Sweetie, I know that-"

I held up my hand. "There's nothing else we could do, Dad. The hunting party is already out on their mission. Within an hours' time they'll have your precious son chained up ready to be beheaded and dismembered by the local pack of wolves."

Dad looked surprised at what I said. There was a sense of awkwardness in the air as everyone else in the room tried to act like they didn't hear what I just said. Luckily for everyone, my dad's cellphone rang.

"It's your mom," he announced before heading out the room.

I nodded my head once. The second he was out of the room, I shot up from the couch.

"Where-"

"Just over to the window," I told Coach Ross.

"Uh-"

"I'll stay with her," Brett offered.

I rolled my eyes. "Can't even look out the window without a baby sitter." This got a chuckle from Brett.

My eyes scanned the dark forest outside. It was hard to see, but I still continued to train my eyes to look for something, anything.

"You see anything? Your wolf eyes are better than my mere human eyes."

"Nothing," Brett answered quickly.

"Did you even really look?" No answer. "Brett? Brett!"

"I don't have a chance, do I?" he asked, his eyes still out looking out the window.

"What?"

"Me and you. It really is over, huh?"

I was surprised at his question. Coach Ross cleared his throat.

"I, uh, I'm gonna get a glass of water."

"We'll come with," Renesme said trying to pull Seth up.

"I'll stay here," Seth said, his voice had an edge to it and he was suspiciously eyeing Brett.

"Seth, please!" With that, Seth reluctantly left me alone with Brett. I had a feeling he was supposed to be watching Brett watching me.

"Brett," I began once our audience was out of the room.

"It's okay, Jade. I see how you two look at each other. What you and I had is nowhere near what you and Jacob have now and I'm starting to see that."

I was speechless, so he went on. "He _really_ cares for you. Has he told you that he loves you yet?"

That question left me even more speechless and blushing. Luckily I didn't have to answer. Seth darted from the kitchen and into the living room. Alarmed that he was going to attack Brett, I positioned myself in front of Brett as if to protect him.

"Seth," I began, but he didn't acknowledge me. Instead, he flew past me and out the front door. He phased in midair and gracefully landed on his paws.

"What's going on?" I asked as Coach Ross and Renesme appeared.

"Seth heard Jacob's call and just ran."

"You think they caught Conor?"


	31. Chapter 29

I started for the door, but my father's voice stopped.

"Jade, your mother wants to-" he stopped and looked around. "What's going on?"

"Seth," Coach Ross started, nodding outside. "He heard his alpha's call."

"Honey, I'm going to have to call you back," my dad said and hung up without waiting for my mom's response.

"Let's go," my dad said. I continued onwards to the door. "Not you, Jade. You stay here with Brett. Me and Ross will go."

"But-"

"We are not going to argue about this!" My dad and I had a stare down. I was not going to back down but we were wasting time. Who knew if they did catch Conor. Who knew if the wolves would wait to finish him off or let us say our proper goodbyes. I saw a slight movement in the corner of my eye. Brett was slowly positioning himself in front of Coach Ross. He caught my eyes and nodded.

"Fine," I said. My dad's posture relaxed and a small smile spread on his face.

"Thank you, sweetheart. We won't take long. We-"

A loud thud and groans here heard. Brett had tackled Coach Ross onto the floor.

"Go, Jade!" Without wasting another second, I sprinted out the door.

"Jade!" I heard my dad yell. I ignored him and didn't even bother to see if he was right behind. Instead, I just ran away. I had no idea where I was going but I knew I had to find them. I had to at least see my brother one last time, even if he was some supernatural freak of nature.

It wasn't long until I heard growls, and lots of them. I let the sounds lead me to where they were. Suddenly I felt two strong grips on my arms.

"No, Jade," came Dylan's voice. "You shouldn't be here." I felt his arms wrap around me as he tried to keep me away. Against his super vampire strength, my flailing didn't do much.

"Jade!" I heard my dad say. "Let's go!"

"No! Let me go!" I cried.

"Jade, honey, please," my dad begged, desperation in his voice.

"At least let me say good bye!"

"No, it's too dangerous!"

"Please, just let me say good bye!" I shouted, tears streaming down my face. I stopped resisting Dylan's hold and fell limp in his arms. My sobs rocked my whole body. I heard a faint whimper and I knew it was from Jacob. He gave a bark and received growls in return.

"What the hell's wrong with them?" my dad asked.

"Jacob wants them to let Conor go, but Sam isn't agreeing." The two packs of wolves started growling at one another. Everyone was transfixed by what was happening. Suddenly, I heard the sound of paws scratching on the ground. The big grey wolf bared its teeth and looked ready to lunge. He was getting ready to attack.

With the situation going on with the wolves, Dylan's hold on me loosened and I was able to break free. I kept my eyes on the grey wolf who still hadn't launched itself from the ground. My legs pumped fast beneath me and ran towards Conor.

"Jade!" I heard my dad say. Then everything around me became a blur. Bodies jumped past me. I saw Jasper fly into a tree and Emmett wrestling with one of the wolves. Jacob jumped over me and collided with the grey wolf. I was safe, until another wolf launched itself into fight and I saw three big wolves hurtling towards me. Before I could react, pain shot through my side as something hit me, making me fly through the air. Another shock of pain hit as I crashed into a tree. My whole body ached and I heard growling and snarling and bodies being thrown about.

A loud growl suddenly drowned everything else and seemed to catch everyone's attention. The sound of metal breaking followed. I slowly opened my eyes. My heart stopped as I saw Conor's monstrous-self running towards me. A small grey wolf positioned itself in front of me. A sandy colored wolf positioned itself beside the grey wolf. I watched as Conor threw them aside with ease. I tried to sit up, but the pain increased. As Conor neared me, he slowed down and positioned himself much like the two wolves did. It was like he was protecting me. I peered around him and saw the wolves and the vampires cautiously watching him.

"Conor!" I heard my dad yell. "Son, step away from your sister. We don't want to hurt you. We just want to make sure you don't hurt your sister."

A growl escaped from Conor's throat. It sent chills up and down my spine. He was so close to me and it was only then I noticed how gigantic he was compared to the big wolves of La Push. I looked at the small army he was facing. The vampires stood to one side with the men in the position to defend their mates. Up front was the bigger pack of wolves, Sam's pack. Jacob was beside Sam, but I noticed that his pack was positioned in the back of the whole group. He didn't want them to do anything. He was still trying to protect Conor for me.

I turned my attention back to my dad who was still rambling. I noticed the shiny black gun he held in his hand. He was pointing his gun at Conor, my brother, his own son!

"I'm sorry, son." Shots were fired and I saw Conor's body jerk back with each round. I opened my mouth to scream, but nothing came out. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak. I watched helplessly as the wolves took turns jumping at him, biting, scratching, whatever they could land. Conor fought back as best as he could. Even at his injured state, he was still able to hold his own. He stepped back and soon he fell with a loud thump beside me, still shielding me from the others.

"Conor," I finally managed to whisper. The wolves were slowly approaching. "Conor!"

Then something strange happened. His wolf form slowly disappeared, revealing a form similar to his human form. The pale skin made it clear that it was his vampire side.

"Conor?" I said again, slowly dragging myself to him.

"Jade! Don't!"

"He's breathing!" I said. "He's alive!"

"No, Jade!" Jasper was the first to react, jumping over Conor and hoisting him up to his feet.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Conor opened his eyes, his red eyes. A smirk played on his lips and he punched Jasper, sending him flying to a tree. The Cullens all took their turns attack Conor. A couple of the wolves even jumped in too. Sam was able to tackle him back, both of them landing a foot away.

"Jade get out of there!"

I tried, but I couldn't. I tried to get myself up on my feet. Sam went flying in the air, landing on a few members of his pack. I heard the whimpers and I couldn't picture what sort of pain they were in.

"Jade!" Soon pain shot through my body again as Conor slammed my body up the tree. His red eyes looked me right in the eye. I saw nothing but…red. I saw no emotions, no recognition.

"Conor," I struggled to say as he began to choke me. Looking past him I saw Jacob's wolf form running towards us. "Jacob."

It was the last thing I said before I let out a scream. I felt a burning pain on my neck. I felt two sharp fangs clamp down and dig into my skin. The burning sensation soon spread from my neck to me chest. My body hit the ground and I could barely make out Conor's body being attacked by a big russet wolf.

I tried to keep myself conscious. I heard Alice calling for Jasper and Edward calling for Bella. The wolves were going crazy, grouping around where Conor's body went down.

"Jade," I heard a voice. I saw pretty blonde hair and golden eyes.

"Rose, you need to get out of here," came another familiar voice.

"You two take her away, I'll deal with Jade," came another male voice.

"Jade, sweetheart!" There was a voice I knew.

"Daddy."

"Dylan, what's gonna happen to her? You have to help her? She's not going to turn is she?"

"Not if I can get the poison out."

"Then do it! What are you waiting for?"

"My lips haven't touched fresh blood in years, Alex."

"I got you," I heard another voice.

I squirmed and screamed as I felt pain on my neck again. The burning pain seemed to diminish, like it was being sucked out then it stopped.

"I-I c-can't. Get me a-away from her."

"Ross, get Dylan away from my daughter! Jade, stay with me sweetheart. I can't lose you too…"


	32. Chapter 30

_"They have a pond here?" asked Conor, his voice full of excitement._

_"A man-made lake. We can rent out row boats and paddle boats," my dad informed him, smiling at Conor's enthusiasm._

_"Can we jet-ski?"  
>"I don't think so, Conor,"my mom laughed.<em>

_"What do you think, sweetheart? Do you like the Gates?"_

I felt a breeze pick up and I left the memory behind. Instead, I focused on how good the light breeze felt under the blaring, hot sun. I made myself at home on the green grass and let the quiet sounds of nature surround me.

"Hey."

I ignored the voice that greeted, hoping he'd get the message. I rolled my eyes behind my eyelids as I felt his shadow pass over me. The grass beside me shifted as he sat down.

"You know, you really shouldn't ditch summer school. It won't help you out in the long run." I didn't answer. "Come on, Jade, you're almost done with summer school anyway. One week left and you'll be caught up and you'll be a senior right on time!" I heard Brett sigh when he received no response. "Well, mind if I sit with you?"

I did, but I didn't want to say. I shouldn't have had to. He of all people knew what happened and knew that I didn't want company. I was fine in my solitude. I didn't mind being a loner. After the events at Forks, things just went downhill for me and my family. Once I was better and deemed vampire venom free, I was on a plane with my dad, Coach Ross, Dylan, and Brett back to Louisiana. The case on my brother's disappearance was officially closed, my family mourned, and only one month later, everyone was trying to move on as best as they could. That, for my parents, meant constant arguments late in the night when they thought I was asleep. Through the walls I could hear what they argued about: me, my brother, and mostly our super natural lineage. I was a witch. My mother and her side of the family was a witch and my father was not too keen on the super natural. The latter was the reason why my powers were bound. My father blamed my mother and her witch side for luring Conor into the super natural, but no one knew for sure how Conor turned in a vampire-werewolf hybrid. My father was convinced that Conor dipped into magic somehow and it was only then my mom admitted to Conor catching her doing magic one day.

I admit it: I became angry with her too. If she hadn't done magic, Conor wouldn't have seen. Then Conor wouldn't have known and who else knows what would have been different. Anyways, that was how life was back at 'home' at the Gates. My mom and dad barely spoke and I barely spoke to them.

A whirring sound lifted me out of my thoughts. I opened my eyes and glanced at Brett beside me. His eyes were busy looking out toward the lake. Continuing with my silence, I picked up my bag and stood up, brushing grass from my shorts. I began my ten minute walk back to my house.

"Jade!" Brett yelled. Within seconds he caught up with me. "Seriously, Jade!" He grabbed my arm, making me stumble back.

"What the hell!" I exclaimed. I saw a hint of triumph in his eyes. He got me to say something.

"Can you stop this?" I only gave him a look. "Ever since we got back you've been like this, it's like you put a wall up. It's not healthy, Jade! You can't shut everyone out! You can't think you can go on like this, keeping to yourself and getting by with the bare minimum. You're depressed, or something!"

I rolled my eyes and made a move to turn, but Brett grabbed onto me again.

"Jade, talk to me!" When I didn't give in, he continued. "You're parents are worried sick, did you know that? Your dad actually called me and asked me to talk to you and I told him I've been trying! So, just talk to me please. We want to know that you're okay."

I let out a bitter laugh. "Okay? You want to know if I'm okay? My brother is dead. _Dead_. It's only been a month and I think I deserve some more time to grieve."

"Your parents-"

"Have been fighting day in and day out!"

Brett looked surprise by this revelation. A smug smile spread across my face.

"Obviously I'm not the only one acting out from my recent loss."

"At least your parents are talking!" Brett cried. "At least you _know_ what's going on in their head. I don't even know one single thing in yours!"

I turned once again. I heard Brett let out a frustrated sigh.

"Have you talked to Jacob?"

I stopped in my tracks. The blood in my veins turned cold as my heart skipped a beat. My mind and my heart cycled through so many emotions with the mention of that one name.

"Is that a no?" Brett continued. Rather than answering, I balled my hands into fists and bit my tongue as I walked away.

"He's worried about you." '_No, don't turn around. Don't take the bait.'_

"He actually called me, of all people, to see how you were." _'He didn't even have the balls to call _me! _He'd rather call my ex-werewolf-boyfriend_ _who he despised only months ago.'_

"I told know him, I wouldn't know. He told me to tell you that he misses you." That was it. I turned around and let out another bitter laugh.

"He misses me? Obviously not enough to pick up the phone and call _me_." Brett smiled, he knew he touched a nerve; he was getting somewhere."

"He's tried."

"Not hard enough. Oh, and next time he calls you, what not tell him that he wouldn't be missing me if he hadn't killed my brother." I watched as Brett's jaws dropped open in shock.

"Jade, you have to know that Jacob feels really guilty about that. That's part of the reason he hasn't had the guts to call you." I shook my head. "I heard what he promised you. He wouldn't hurt Conor unless Conor did something to hurt you! Your brother almost turned you! Anyone could have killed your brother, it's just…Jacob got there first."

I shook my head again, as if I didn't want to believe anything he said. Of course I remembered Jacob's promise and I knew things were not going to end well, but I never knew how bad it would be. Without touching my neck, I could make out the two small scars on my neck.

Then I couldn't help but think about the imprint. It was one of the reasons Jacob was the first to attack Conor. It was the bond we shared. It was the need he had to keep me safe and protected. The fact that it was my own brother he was protecting me from sent me into a constant confusion. I hated him, yet I couldn't stop thinking about him. Missing him. Wanting to be near him.

"I gotta go," I told Brett, this time my voice was soft. Brett nodded and walked towards me and put his arm over my shoulder.

"Let me walk you."

I didn't object. I simply nodded my head and kept pace with him. After a few minutes, I broke the silence.

"I'm a witch."

"Yeah, I heard," he laughed.

"You're a werewolf. Jacob's a…shapeshifter. My neighbors are vampires. Who knows what else is out there?"

"Ghosts? Giants? Fairies?"

"Glad to see you amused." Brett's smile turned into a frown. "When did I get sucked into this nightmare?"

"Night mare?" Brett stopped walking.

"The past year of my life I've been finding out more and more about a world I never knew existed."

"And?"

"I don't want any part in it! I just wanna wake up and go back to being clueless!"

"I know what you mean, but life doesn't work that way. Everything happens for a reason."

"My brother died for a reason?" I asked angrily.

"Damn it, get over it, Jade!"

"Get over it?" I cried, his words fueling my anger.

"Yes, _Get. Over. It_. Yes, you lost your brother. I lost my dad and my brother. I lost my best friend and my alpha. Sure I grieved, but then I got the hell over it. I know you still need closure about your brother. You still have questions that haven't been answered. On top of that, your boyfriend killed your brother. That should be enough for you to hate Jacob, but for some reason you don't, so I'm guessing that's another problem you're struggling with. Bottom line, Jade," Brett was now inches from my face, his blue eyes were intense and I could've sworn I saw them starting to change. "stop dwelling on shit and do something about it!"

"Brett!" We both turned to see my dad storming out the house. "Run it off!"

I heard a small snarl come from Brett. I saw that the blue in his eyes were half gone and were slowly being replaced by his werewolf eyes. Without another word, he turned and began to jog then sprint away.

"Jade, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," I replied pushing myself away from my dad and heading into the house.

"Hang on, your mother and I want to speak to you about something," my dad said, gently grabbing my arm and guiding me into the living room.

My mom sat on one of the armchairs. My dad motioned for me to take a seat as he took the armchair next to my mother.

I plopped on the love seat.

"I'm really tired-" my dad put his hand up.

"Jade, your dad and I have been talking," my mom glanced at my dad. She nodded her head at him as if asking him to continued

"I know things have been difficult. It has been for all of us. Your brother's death is something that is hard to deal with. Basically, your mother and I think you're taking it the hardest."

I opened my mouth to reply, but I was silenced by my father hold up his hand to stop me.

"Obviously, being back in the Gates hasn't helped. And we were thinking that maybe it was time for us to take a break from this place and the…memories," my mom said.

"And the people," my dad added.

They paused and looked at one another.

"So, Jade, what we're trying to say is-"

"Your mom and I have decided to stay in California for an indefinite amount of time."

I nodded. "Is that it?"

They looked at one another one more time and my dad reached for my mom's head.

"And we've decided to send you back to Forks."

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note: <strong>Thank you to all my readers! I hope you enjoyed this fanfic! Jade is being sent off to Forks...again!

Yes, there is a sequel to this fanfic. However, it is something that I would like to take a bit of time on to perfect it. I have rewritten my outline for it a few times already and new ideas always pop up so I am trying not to get too crazy with the next sequel.

Just keep checking back on my profile because I will keep updating on the status of the sequel (which is yet to be titled!)

Once again, thank you for taking the time to read my fanfic and I hope the next one will not disappoint.


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